Former Chesco Sheriff 'Bunny' Welsh Pleads No Contest In Charges

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Former Chester County Sheriff Carolyn "Bunny" Welsh pleaded no contest this week in Chester County court to charges of Diversion of Services and Theft by Unlawful Taking.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office late last year accused Welsh of misusing monies in the sheriff's office K-9 unit fund.

Welsh, 77, was charged in November 2020 with theft by unlawful taking and with diversion of services, both second-degree misdemeanors. She was sheriff in Chester County for 20 years, running as a Republican. She was replaced by Democrat and former Pennsylvania State Trooper Fredda Maddox in 2019.

The attorney general's offices alleged both Welsh and former sheriff's office employee Harry McKinney improperly used funds from the K-9 unit.

Welsh and McKinney have the same address in Chadds Ford. The criminal complaint stated that while Welsh was sheriff, McKinney had held the position of Deputy 1, and Welsh gave him the 'honorary' title of lieutenant, assigning him supervisory duties over the K-9 unit and placing him in charge of fundraising for the unit.

McKinney,64, has also pleaded no contest to the charges, but he was charged with one count of Diversion of Services and two counts of Unlawful Taking, according to court documents.

The charges came after Chester County Controller Margaret Reif spent two years investigating Welsh's activities. Reif in 2018 subpoenaed financial records from the sheriff's office. Her office looked into how Welsh was spending funds from the K-9 unit and how the sheriff's office accounted for nearly $200,000 in donations.

The attorney general's probable cause statement alleged Welsh allowed salaried deputies to do non-governmental work, while on the payroll, much of it at the Wild Game Dinner fundraiser. Also, for every hour the employees spent volunteering during hours after work, Welsh awarded them 1.5 hours of paid comp time, used later as paid time off, the affidavit stated.

The complaint alleged McKinney reimbursed himself with money from the K-9 fund for care costs of his family pet. These included medicine, grooming, treatments, and overnight grooming. McKinney had exclusive approval power over the K-9 account, the A.G.'s affidavit said.

A no contest plea, or "nolo contender," falls short of an admission of guilt but it is an acknowledgment that the evidence brought when the charges were filed is sufficient for the defendant to be found guilty. A judge's sentencing after a no contest plea is then based on an evaluation of the charges.

A date has not yet been scheduled for sentencing.

Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.