A former Burrell varsity boys basketball coach has pleaded guilty to felony theft charges tied to hundreds of thousands of dollars that went missing from a Montgomery County nonprofit while he served as its volunteer treasurer. Michael Fantuzzo, 41, of Lower Burrell, entered the plea last month to one count of theft by deception-false impression and was ordered to serve 10 years of probation.
As reported by TribLIVE, Fantuzzo was also ordered to pay about $371,000 in restitution along with roughly $6,900 in prosecution costs. Court records cited by the outlet show about $321,000 of that restitution was paid between August and October, and Fantuzzo still has to keep making monthly $100 payments. He had been charged in February with two counts of theft by deception and one count of theft by unlawful taking; the other two charges were nolle prossed, meaning prosecutors aren't pursuing them further right now but could revisit them later.
Fantuzzo had served as volunteer treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association, a nonprofit based in Plymouth Meeting in Montgomery County, near Philadelphia. According to TribLIVE, Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Robert George prosecuted the case but did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Fantuzzo's attorney, Abigail Gustafson, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
How the Alleged Theft Came to Light
The nonprofit's new board of directors, elected in 2025, began reviewing the organization's finances after taking over and found questionable payments and withdrawals from its bank account and credit card, per the criminal complaint reported by TribLIVE. The board reported the suspected theft to the Montgomery County Detective Bureau on November 26, 2025, according to Main Line Media News.
Montgomery County detectives alleged Fantuzzo made unauthorized purchases totaling about $246,708 between May 2021 and September 2025, per the criminal complaint. Main Line Media News reported the same unauthorized-purchase total for that span, while a Montgomery County news release snippet put the figure a few cents lower, at $246,708.01. The Philadelphia Inquirer, meanwhile, reported that prosecutors said the conduct took place between 2021 and 2024, spending $246,708 of the association's funds and effectively reducing its savings account to zero — a date range that conflicts with the 2021-to-2025 treasurer term cited elsewhere in reporting.
Where the Money Allegedly Went
More than $128,000 was charged to the association's credit card for Fantuzzo's personal use, according to the complaint, and more than $100,000 more was used for payments on four of Fantuzzo's personal credit cards and a PayPal account. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that itemized charges included $10,513 to install a hot tub at Fantuzzo's home and $2,019 for a trip to Disney World. The complaint also lists a North Carolina vacation rental, country club membership fees and property taxes among the personal expenses billed to association funds.
Fantuzzo admitted to the association's board that he had used its funds for $90,000 in personal expenses, though he claimed it was accidental, per the complaint. That figure is notably smaller than the roughly $246,708 detectives later alleged in unauthorized purchases. Separately, Audacy reported that Fantuzzo repaid $371,000 total and admitted spending association money on limo services, a hot tub, a country club membership and family vacations.
Fallout at Burrell School District
Fantuzzo had been hired as Burrell's varsity boys basketball head coach in 2019. Burrell School District Athletic Director Brian Ferra confirmed that Fantuzzo's employment was terminated in February after the district learned about the charges, TribLIVE reported. The district hired Brian Misho to replace Fantuzzo in May, promoting a coach who had served as an assistant since 2018.
The Inquirer reported that Fantuzzo turned himself in to Montgomery County authorities on February 6, was released from custody, and was expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on February 17 — a step that preceded last month's guilty plea and sentencing. The precise total of unauthorized purchases and the exact span of the alleged conduct remain reported differently across outlets, and the underlying court records have not been independently reviewed to resolve those discrepancies.
