Montco woman charged with stealing from Scouts

A Lansdale woman was charged Wednesday with stealing more than $10,000 combined from the Cub Scouts pack and Girl Scouts troop she led.

Heather Lynn Belford, 30, is accused of using the credit cards of the two Upper Providence groups to buy personal items and withdraw cash during the spring of 2014, when she was committee chair of the Cub pack and leader of the scout troop.

Belford turned herself in Wednesday at a district court in Montgomery County, said Upper Providence Detective Raymond Bechtel.

She is charged with felony theft, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and access device fraud, according to a news release from the county District Attorney's Office.

Belford made 54 unauthorized transactions from the two accounts, the office said. Most were ATM withdrawals, Bechtel said.

The theft from the Cub Scouts was first reported in July. During their investigation, police discovered that money had also been stolen from Girl Scout Troop 7343, Bechtel said.

Belford was arraigned Wednesday and her bail was set at $5,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Police said she does not have an attorney.

The District Attorney's Office said it would seek restitution.