A Bucks County man who worked at a nonprofit for people with disabilities stole over $100,000 by defrauding more than a dozen Philadelphia seniors, prosecutors said Monday.
Quay Fetherson, 36, of Bensalem, was arrested last week. He used his position as a “fiscal liaison” at Community Options Inc., a longstanding organization, to embezzle funds over a six-year period ending in 2024, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Fetherson is accused of issuing checks from clients’ bank accounts; having his victims sign checks; forging signatures; and taking victims to the bank to withdraw money, prosecutors said.
He is charged with stealing about $103,000 from 15 people, Assistant District Attorney Alex Blumenthal, head of the Elder Justice Unit, told reporters during a Monday news conference.
Blumenthal said an audit conducted after Fetherson left Community Options last year uncovered the fraud. The organization reported the findings to Philadelphia police, officials said.
Community Options, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, offers a range of programs in 12 states for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. Its Philadelphia office is located in Bustleton and offers community-based residential and employment support services.
“We are deeply saddened and outraged by the actions of a former employee who stole from the personal accounts of individuals with disabilities entrusted to our care in Philadelphia,” Angela Castle, the nonprofit’s incident management coordinator, said in a statement. “This individual was entrusted with significant responsibility and abused that position for personal gain.”
“Community Options has implemented enhanced safeguards and oversight to prevent something like this from ever happening again,” she continued.
Wetherson has been charged with 15 counts of financial exploitation of a care-dependent person, identity theft, theft and forgery. He was released on $375,000 unsecured bond, the DA’s Office said.
The public defender’s association, which is representing Wetherson, did not respond to a request for comment on the case.
