HOA Embezzler Sentenced In Chesco For Stealing $2.6 Million

WEST CHESTER, PA — A West Chester property manager's charges related to shady operations have been multiple but a confessed serial thief has been sentenced in Chester County Court this week and will serve years in state prison.

William C. Huyler III, 42, of West Chester, was sentenced on May 27 to 40-120 months in state prison for stealing over $2.6 million dollars from client Homeowners Associations (HOAs) of his property management company, as well as WSFS Bank (WSFS).

Huyler pleaded guilty to the WSFS charges before his May 2021 sentencing. Huyler also had pleaded guilty in December 2020 to stealing from eight Homeowner Associations (HOAs) located in Chester County, Montgomery County, New Jersey, and Delaware. Then in February 2021 he was charged with theft, related to SBA loans. Read that story here.

Huyler perpetrated a complicated pyramid scheme with the funds of the eight HOAs that his company, East Hill Property Management (EHPM), contracted for the day-to-day management of their facilities, according to a report from the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

Huyler hid his $1.4 million embezzlements from the HOAs by altering or forging bank statements and company books. He then forged documents and otherwise misrepresented the financial condition of EHMP as well as his own, to fraudulently secure $1.25 million in Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans from WSFS, the D.A.'s report said.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said, "The defendant’s callous greed allowed him to indiscriminately steal large sums of money from a number of different institutions. In the process, employees of his company lost their jobs and had their reputations tarnished from the fallout. But beyond the financial loss to the individual victims, he also stole their sense of trust — and sometimes that's harder to get back."

Court documents list dozens of felony charges related to the described thefts and forgeries, in a 21-page docket sheet.

Huyler received 14 years of probation in addition to the prison sentence. He was ordered to pay restitution to the institutions from whom he stole, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft presided over the case.

The investigators in the case reported today included Chester County Detectives, Upper Merion Township Police Department, West Norriton Township Police Department, and Glassboro Police Department. Deputy District Attorney Ron Yen and Assistant District Attorney John McCaul were the prosecutors.

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.