A 40-year-old Lower Burrell man has been charged with a number of felony counts related to allegations of theft after, officials said, he is believed to have stolen over $246,000 from a Montgomery County nonprofit group where he formerly served as treasurer. On Monday, Montgomery County officials announced the arrest of Michael Fantuzzo, 40, on theft charges related to allegations that stem from his time as a volunteer treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association, a nonprofit professional association that had been headquartered in Plymouth Meeting. According to police, allegations against Fantuzzo came to light after a new Board of Directors undertook a review of the nonprofit group’s finances in 2025 and “found numerous questionable withdrawals and payments from the organization’s bank account as well as purchases made using the nonprofit’s credit card.” Police allege that between May 2021 and September 2025, as the nonprofit’s treasurer, Fantuzzo made unauthorized purchases to the tune of about $246,708. These purchases, law enforcement officials claim, included a trip to Disney World, a vacation rental in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, the installation of a hot tub at his own home, as well as payments for membership fees at a country club, along with state and local tax payments. Fantuzzo allegedly used $100,000 of the nonprofit’s funding, police said, to pay his personal credit cards and his own Paypal account, as well. In a statement, representatives with the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association said that they have been working closely with law enforcement officials upon uncovering the alleged fraud after identifying “a potential issue of concern.” “The Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association is heartened to learn of the arrest of Michael Fantuzzo in the theft of nearly $250,000 over several years from our organization. POTA’s executive leadership team, upon identifying a potential issue of concern, promptly initiated an internal review of its financial status,” POTA officials said in a statement. “In consultation with legal counsel, once we uncovered the theft, POTA immediately contacted law enforcement, and we worked cooperatively with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and the County Detectives as they launched an investigation. It was deeply troubling to learn that Mr. Fantuzzo chose to abuse the trust we placed in him with respect to POTA’s financial accounts.” Fantuzzo turned himself in to law enforcement officials in Montgomery County on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. He is currently in police custody as he awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 17, 2026, officials said. ...read more read less