William Spencer, the 57-year-old former director of the Washington/Greene Youth Football League, was sentenced to 10 years’ probation in Washington County court after admitting he siphoned more than $230,000 from the organization over five years. A judge ordered him to repay the money, with the first six months of his probation to be served under house arrest.
Spencer had already paid $30,000 in restitution at sentencing and will be required to pay at least $1,500 each month toward the remaining balance, according to the Herald-Standard. He pleaded guilty in July to a felony count of theft by unlawful taking and misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property and misapplication of entrusted property, the outlet reported.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, whose office announced the sentencing, said Spencer violated the community’s trust and left the league “financially decimated.” Sunday also said Spencer repeatedly stole league funds and harmed young athletes, coaches, and supporters who relied on the organization.
Checks Written to Himself Over Five Years
Investigators say Spencer diverted youth football program funds into his personal accounts from 2020 through 2025, writing 187 checks payable to himself from league accounts. He used the diverted money for credit-card payments, retirement-account funding, and various personal purchases, according to the seed reporting from CBS Pittsburgh.
A separate CBS News report detailed how those funds were spent, saying the money went toward personal expenses including bills, ATM withdrawals, retail purchases, restaurants, and home-improvement projects. That same report said the 187 checks Spencer wrote to himself totaled more than $222,000, part of an overall amount officials said neared $230,000 — a figure that differs from the Herald-Standard’s account of 187 fraudulent checks totaling $231,939 plus about $3,000 in other payments. Investigators said the transactions occurred between January 2020 and February 2025, and the probe began in early 2024 after league officials raised concerns about missing money and irregular transactions.
Conflicting Details on His Resignation and the League’s Reach
Spencer served as director of the Washington/Greene Youth Football League from 2013 until he resigned in 2025, though accounts differ on exactly when. PennLive reported he directed the league from 2013 to March 2025, when he resigned, while the earlier CBS News report put his resignation in June 2025.
Reports also differ on how far the league’s footprint extended. PennLive described it as the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League, encompassing 44 organizations across seven counties, while the Herald-Standard reported the league had 44 local organizations supplying teams from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties — six counties in that account.
No primary court record was made available to independently verify every detail of the sentence, and it remains unclear whether Spencer has made restitution payments beyond the initial $30,000 reported at sentencing.
