PITTSBURGH, PA — Two residents of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy and federal program fraud. The five-count indictment names John “Herm” Suplizio, 63, and Roberta Shaffer, 58, both of DuBois, PA, as the defendants. The indictment was unsealed following their arrest on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
According to the indictment, from 2014 to 2022, Suplizio, the City Manager of DuBois, and Shaffer, a city employee, allegedly conspired to divert and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in city funds. Suplizio, who maintained significant authority in DuBois, and Shaffer are accused of using the city’s tax identification number to establish secret bank accounts into which they diverted city money. This included approximately $60,000 in annual administrative fees from the city’s waste management contract.
The duo allegedly made large cash withdrawals from these unaudited accounts, wrote checks to themselves and others, and obtained cashier’s checks with themselves listed as payees—totaling more than $350,000. They are also accused of spending more than $450,000 from the accounts towards payments on Suplizio’s personal credit card, which he used for personal vacations, utility bills, department store purchases, and jewelry, among other personal expenses.
United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan commented on the case, stating that Suplizio and Shaffer allegedly violated the community’s trust by funneling city money into secret bank accounts for personal benefit. FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall echoed this sentiment, vowing that the FBI would root out any forms of public corruption.
Attorney General Michelle Henry thanked the federal partners involved in the prosecution and affirmed the joint efforts to hold public officials accountable.
The law provides for a sentence of up to 45 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $1,250,000, or both. The actual sentence would be based on the seriousness of the offenses and the defendants’ prior criminal history, if any.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Robert S. Cessar and Special Assistant United States Attorney Summer F. Carroll are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation. Information, a criminal complaint, or an arrest is not a declaration of guilt. A suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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