:By Jim Smith

Butler Eagle Staff Writer

GROVE CITY — A woman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a borough-based charity that was trying to help her.

Grove City police said Stephanie Orock, 27, of Mercer swiped credit and bank cards belonging to the nonprofit organization Reaching Up and Reaching Out.

She and John J. Reardon IV, 27, of Sharon allegedly used the cards this year to rack up $11,398.95 in personal purchases.

Police last week filed felony charges against both suspects, who were already in the Mercer County Jail on probation violations in unrelated theft cases.

Preliminary hearings for the defendants in the charity theft are set for March 16 at the office of District Judge Neil McEwen in Pine Township.

Grove City Police Chief Dean Osborne said Orock was a client of Reaching Up and Reaching Out when she took the cards from the group’s office on South Center Street.

“They were trying to help her out,” Osborne said of the charity. “They were trying to get her back on her feet.”

Reaching Up and Reaching Out is a faith-based charity that offers “spiritual, physical and emotional support” to individuals “experiencing crisis in their lives,” according to the group’s website.

Telephone calls this morning to several board members were not returned or went unanswered.

Orock took the cards and together with Reardon used them between Jan. 29 and Feb. 19 at several businesses and gas stations in the Shenango Valley to buy merchandise, investigators said.

Osborne characterized the defendants’ relationship as “acquaintances.” He would not say this morning what kinds of personal items were bought with the cards.

Officials for the charity eventually discovered the unauthorized charges and purchases on their credit card and bank statements and notified police.

Orock and Reardon on Thursday were arraigned by video from the Mercer County Jail on felony charges of access device fraud and conspiracy and a misdemeanor charge of illegal possession of an access device.

Orock also is charged with misdemeanor theft.

Both defendants have been in the county jail since Feb. 23 when they were arrested for probation violations.

Mercer County Court records showed Orock has prior misdemeanor convictions between 2013 and 2015 for theft by deception, retail theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.

Reardon’s convictions in Mercer County include conspiracy to commit robbery, a felony, and misdemeanor theft, both in 201l, according to court records.

He also pleaded guilty in 2015 to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property.

Both defendants remain in the county jail on $15,000 bail each for the Grove City charges and for the probation violations.