Ex-director of Penn's campus rec waives hearing on theft charges

The former director of the University of Pennsylvania's campus fitness center waived a preliminary hearing Monday on charges that she stole cash and items from the center's lost and found.

Amy M. Wagner, 45, who was fired by the university in May, briefly appeared with lawyer Mariana Rossman before Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Nazario Jimenez Jr.

With the waiver of a preliminary hearing, Wagner's case moves directly to trial, but Rossman said she and the District Attorney's Office are working to have Wagner enter a pretrial diversion program for first-time offenders.

Rossman told Jimenez that Wagner has begun repaying the estimated $10,000 loss. When the amount drops below $2,000, Rossman said, Wagner will be eligible for the state's Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. Under the program, Wagner's criminal record will be expunged if she fulfills requirements and is not rearrested.

Wagner, of Manayunk, has a master's degree in exercise physiology from Temple University. She was director of recreation at Penn's Pottruck Health and Fitness Center from 2007 until her arrest.

Wagner was arrested on 24 counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, theft by failing to make required disposition of funds, forgery, and records-tampering. The latter two counts involve falsifying entries in a log book to conceal the stolen cash and items, according to court records.