HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a co-defendant involved in a scheme to defraud a Pittsburgh-based charity – Tickets for Kids – has been found guilty of felony charges.
An Allegheny County Judge on Tuesday convicted 65-year-old Ramona Wilkes of corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, deceptive business practices and criminal use of a communication facility — all felonies.
She was sentenced to five years of probation, with the first year on house arrest, and ordered to pay $57,346.65 in restitution to Tickets for Kids.
Wilkes used her position as an employee with the non-profit organization Pittsburgh Mercy to obtain tickets from Tickets for Kids. The tickets were intended to be given to children served by Pittsburgh Mercy but instead, Wilkes kept the tickets for herself and her co-conspirators to resell for profit or use personally.
“Tickets for Kids exists to create opportunities for children who otherwise might never experience a concert, sporting event or other special outing. Instead of helping fulfill that mission, this defendant exploited it for personal gain,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This verdict holds her accountable, and the restitution ordered will help the charity continue serving the children who need it most.”
The case was prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General’s Organized Crime Section.
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