Ex-Church Administrator in Pennsylvania Gets 10 to 20 Years in Theft Case

A former western Pennsylvania church administrator has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in the theft of $1.2 million that prosecutors said he and his wife used for vacations, sports tickets and other personal expenses.

An Allegheny County judge imposed the sentence on 50-year-old David Reiter and also ordered him to pay restitution.

Reiter pleaded guilty in October to receiving stolen property, theft, forgery, access device fraud, tampering with records and unlawful use of a computer. He pleaded no contest to conspiring with his wife, who faces trial later this month.

Prosecutors say the money was stolen over the course of about 17 years from the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair, where Reiter had been administrator since 2001.

The church said it is continuing to rebuild its finances and members pray for Reiter and his family “hoping to see rehabilitation, restitution, and even restoration.”