JOHNSTOWN— A federal grand jury in Johnstown has returned a superseding indictment that charges former DuBois City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio and former city employee Roberta “Bobbie” Shaffer with conspiracy, federal program fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Wednesday.
According to a press release, the 10-count superseding indictment named Suplizio, 64, and Shaffer, 59, both of DuBois, as the defendants. The pair was initially indicted and arrested in November 2023 on conspiracy and federal program fraud charges. The superseding indictment expands the time frame of the federal program theft conspiracy in the original indictment, with allegations of an additional approximately $700,000 in theft, and also adds money laundering charges.
A superseding indictment is a formal accusation brought by a grand jury that replaces a previously filed indictment and amends charges against the defendants.
According to the superseding indictment, from in and around May 2008 to in and around March 2022, Suplizio, as DuBois city manager, and Shaffer, as city secretary, knowingly conspired to embezzle, steal, convert and misapply over $1.5 million owned by the city.
The superseding indictment alleges that to accomplish this theft, Suplizio and Shaffer opened bank accounts without the knowledge of the DuBois City Council or auditors, and then funneled fees intended for the city from a waste management company and two oil and gas companies into those secret accounts. Suplizio and Shaffer used the stolen money to, among other things, make large cash withdrawals, write checks to themselves and others, obtain cashier’s checks with themselves listed as payees, and make payments to Suplizio’s personal credit card. The purchases on Suplizio’s credit card included Suplizio’s vacation expenses, utility expenses for Suplizio’s residence, department store purchases, jewelry store purchases, political dinners, and other personal expenses. The superseding indictment alleges that many of the transactions in which Suplizio and Shaffer engaged with the proceeds of their theft were over $10,000, which constitutes money laundering under federal law.
Suplizio, after being placed on administrative leave in March of 2023, was officially fired as DuBois city manager in April of 2024. Shaffer resigned from her position in September of 2023.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to either five or 10 years in prison, a fine of up to either $250,000 or $500,000, or both, on each count. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Summer F. Carroll are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment.
