The Carbondale YMCA’s former executive director embezzled almost $100,000 during a four-year period that ended with his firing in April 2024, authorities alleged Tuesday.
A Lackawanna County detective charged Jason R. Mackie, 43, of Scranton, with theft, illegal use of a YMCA credit card and other counts Tuesday.
Mackie stole in several different ways, according to an arrest affidavit filed by Detective Colleen Catanese.
Once, he admitted to using the YMCA credit card for Uber trips, auto services and at Sheetz and McDonald’s, but paid back these amounts.
He claimed “he had forgotten his personal credit card while away at his daughter’s travel softball tournament for that weekend,” according to the affidavit.
Other times, Mackie used the credit card without paying back all the money — at Friendly’s Restaurant, Dave & Buster’s, a DoubleTree hotel, Walmart, Rite Aid, Sheetz, Dairy Queen, Voodoo Brewing Co, Kindle Services and Best Buy.
The charges added up to $7,053.07 after subtracting a small amount Mackie paid back, according to the affidavit.
Mackie also wrote checks to cash that he tried to disguise as withdrawals for YMCA special cash prize giveaway “spin” events that never happened.
Normally, the YMCA usually pays cash prizes using the Venmo or Paypal payment sites or by check, but never in cash.
In November 2022, he wrote a $2,500 check to cash that he reported as being for a “Bingo” and another for $1,200 for “Christmas Festival Startup.” Both were already paid for with a single $1,200 check, according to the affidavit.
One June 2023 check for $1,500 and made out to cash was listed as a golf tournament prize, but a May 30 check was already issued for that event.
In July 2023, Mackie wrote a check to cash for $2,000 for “summer carnival prizes and startup.” The cash required for that event usually totals $200, a bank official told Catanese.
In August 2023, another check to cash was for $2,500 for a “board meeting lunch and raffle prize money,” but that board meeting took place at a board member’s home with no raffles.
Mackie also stole by filling out deposit slips that listed cash and checks payable to the YMCA but deposited only the checks — and only months later. The amount of unaccounted for cash stolen this way totaled $75,788.54, according to the affidavit.
Another time, Mackie used the credit card for a $4,800 cash advance, which also cost the YMCA $240 in fees.
“It was determined that this transaction was not authorized by the YMCA and not used for YMCA business,” Catanese wrote in the affidavit.
Authorities said they used a search warrant to get a look at a downtown Scranton bank’s video of the cash advance transaction.
The man on the video recording: Mackie.
He was awaiting arraignment Tuesday afternoon.
