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	City Woman Arrested in School Theft By Kimm R. Montone Republican & Herald March 31, 2007 http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18153519&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=532624&rfi=6 Reading — Reading police arrested a Pottsville woman on charges that she embezzled more than $46,000 from a Berks County high school. While the Catholic school, Holy Name High School, is likely to be reimbursed through its insurance policy, the former school bookkeeper, Donna Lynn Botek, 56, of Pottsville, will be prosecuted for stealing $46,645.65. The school is under the purview of the Diocese of Allentown. Botek is charged with possession of an instrument of a crime (a computer), unlawful use of a computer and other computer crimes, forgery, theft by deception and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received. Botek declined to comment Friday afternoon. Reading Police Capt. Francis F. Drexler said between November 2005 and December 2006, Botek wrote electronic checks payable to herself and afterward deleted the checks from the computer. He said the payments were noted as payroll and bonus checks and that Botek forged the school principal's, Keith Laser, name on them. Also, Drexler said she collected $974.66 for not paying into her Capital Blue Cross Health insurance plan. As part of the plan, 10 percent of her pay was to be deducted from her check. Laser referred calls to the Allentown diocese. A statement released by the diocese Thursday said that late last year, officials of Holy Name High School and the diocese notified Reading police about the possible theft of school funds. "This matter is now in the hands of law enforcement authorities and the courts and in order for that the process not be prejudiced the school and diocese will withhold further public statement," according to the statement. The missing money was first identified on an internal school audit, Drexler said. Botek was placed on leave from the school in December. On Thursday, police picked up Botek in the afternoon and she was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Stuart Kennedy. She's free after posting $10,000 bail. As for motive, Drexler didn't have an answer. "People think they can get away with it. It's easy when you have that responsibility, but eventually it'll catch up to you," he said. Contact: kmontone@republicanherald.com
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