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Tax collector sentenced for embezzlement

The Jenkintown tax collector who embezzled $242,000 to fund his slots habit at Parx Casino in Bensalem was sentenced today to 10 to 23 months in jail and five years probation.

Mike O'Neill, 51, appeared humbled at the hearing before Judge William J. Furber Jr. in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. He had been eligible for a 7-year sentence.

O'Neill, who served as Jenkintown's mayor from 1989 to 2000, was elected tax collector of the borough in 2002 and paid a $30,000 salary to handle $12 million.

In 2007, O'Neill made his first foray into the Bensalem slots palace. By the end of 2008, with his personal accounts tapped out, he began dipping into tax funds.

Between December 2008 and December 2009, O'Neill gambled at Parx at least 180 times, losing $181,599, according to his player record. His real loss totaled $226,973, since he often gambled anonymously.

In January 2010, his guilt became too much to bear. He confessed to Jenkintown's school superintendent, who called the police.

Though the borough's insurance policy covered the losses, O'Neill today said that as part of his recovery he would pay full restitution.

"I just want to apologize to the borough, the county and the court for taking up your time for something I brought apon myself," O'Neill said.

He told Judge Furber that he was taking full responsibility and would "make amends any way I can."

He said he has already put $18,000 aside as a start. O'Neill will be held in a facility in Montgomery County where he will be eligible for work release. What he earns, O'Neill said, he'll use to pay the town back.