Woman charged with stealing more than $4,000 from Sluganski memorial scholarship

Tracy Whitney is accused of using money from the McKeesport Area Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund for her own personal benefit.

A Versailles woman is accused of taking more than $4,000 from a McKeesport Area School District scholarship fund in honor of a fallen city police officer for her personal use.

Tracy Lynn Whitney, 51, is accused of spending money raised for the McKeesport Area Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund on T-Mobile cell phone bills, Duquesne Light bills, several grocery stores and restaurants, as well as cash withdrawals, according to the complaint filed against her by Allegheny County Police.

The fund was created in memory of city police Officer Sean Sluganski, who was killed in the line of duty in 2023 while responding to a domestic situation.

Allegheny County detective began investigating April 2 at the request of McKeesport police.

A witness, who is not identified in the criminal complaint, reported to police that Whitney was the only person with access to the account.

The witness told investigators they are employed by the McKeesport Area School District.

Following the shooting death of Sluganski in February 2023, Whitney and several co-workers created a fundraiser to provide a scholarship to McKeesport Area students that pursue a career in public service.

Students would have to write an essay explaining why they wanted to go into public service, and the board would pick the winning essay.

Whitney was the sole person with access to the scholarship’s bank account, and was in charge of the finances, according to the criminal complaint. After initial funds for the scholarship were raised, Whitney established an account at the Huntington National Bank in White Oak.

According to the criminal complaint, there is no standard amount or number of scholarship recipients because it is based on the number of applicants. The first recipient of the scholarship in 2024 received $1,000, and two recipients received $3,000 each in 2025.

The witness told investigators that Whitney claimed there were no applicants in the 2025-26 school year, but the witness told police that three students had actually applied, the complaint states.

The witness, and another board member discussed the amount of funds in their bank account on April 1. The witness said there was around $3,000, in the account, but the board member said it should have in excess of $7,000. When they went to Huntington National Bank, they discovered the account contained $3,250.02. The bank froze the account and the witness went to the police that night, the complaint states.

After police received a search warrant for bank records for the fallen scholarship fund, they discovered transactions totaling $4,272.73, including $1,200 paid to cash to Whitney on July 31, 2025, nearly $600 to Duquesne Light Co., and more than $800 to Verizon Wireless, in addition to $48.12 at Plaza Azteca, $11.70 at the Twin Oaks, numerous purchases at Walmart, Aldi and Sam’s Club between July 31, 2025 through Feb. 13, 2026, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Whitney was also the president of the McKeesport Educational Support union for district staff who are not in the teachers’ union. The witness gave police two checkbooks and a Huntington National Bank Mastercard that Whitney allegedly gave to a board member. One of the transfers from the scholarship fund was $1,200 to the educational support union.

The witness, who was the treasurer of the union, said they had no idea they had a business card. Court records state that the witness said Whitney would not give her the login information for both the union and scholarship, giving various excuses about being logged out of online Huntington National Bank accounts.

The witness went with the Allegheny County detective to Huntington National Bank to determine which transactions were made for the benefit of the scholarship. Numerous transactions between Oct. 15, 2024 and Feb. 13, 2026, were suspicious, the complaint states.

The witness said there should not be any activity in that account, including fundraising expenses, after June 2025 because their fundraiser event just ended. The next bingo fundraiser was to be planned for this past February.

Allegheny County police charged Whitney with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and access device fraud and a misdemeanor count of misapplication of entrusted property, court records state.

Whitney’s attorney, Mike DeRiso, told KDKA-TV his client found herself in an unfortunate financial situation and made some “poor decisions.” DeRiso said the money has since been paid back.

Whitney was arraigned Tuesday morning, and was released after posting $5,000 bail. A preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Pero is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 14.