Police Say CPA, His Wife, Bilked Elderly Relatives

MILFORD — Former Delaware Valley School Board member John Fisher and his wife Susanne Fisher have been charged with swindling an elderly couple out of almost $700,000.

Along with Susanne Fisher’s sister, Rebecca Holderman, the Fishers are charged with theft by deception and conspiracy for allegedly deceiving the two sisters’ elderly parents, Dorothy and Robert Hoover, into thinking that a transfer of $696,000 into an investment account in the two sisters’ names was actually a reinvestment of the elderly couple’s life savings in their own names.

Lancaster County police said that in August 2009, when the Hoovers were living in Manheim, Pa., John Fisher, a CPA, used his power of attorney granted earlier by his in-laws to obtain a signed generic letter addressed to Fisher as an employee of Genworth Financial Services, which held the Hoovers’ retirement account. Police said Fisher was not an employee of GFS, and that the letter was addressed to his privately owned business in Branchville, N.J. Both Hoovers signed the post-dated letter, with Robert Hoover’s signature being obtained on Aug. 30, 2009 when he was incapacitated and residing in the dementia unit of a nursing home.

Police said the letter masqueraded as a reinvestment of funds when it was actually a complete transfer into an account in the two sisters’ names.

Police said that after Robert Hoover’s death on Dec. 2, 2009, Dorothy Hoover was denied access and information relative to the “investment” set up by Fisher.

Dorothy told investigators that when she asked for money from the investment to pay for living and medical expenses, Susanne Fisher refused to give her any money.

Police filed the charges on April 17, and Fisher resigned from his third, non-consecutive term on the DV board on May 9. However, he remained on this week’s primary election ballot for another four-year term on the school board.

Defense attorney Michael Weinstein, who also happens to be the solicitor for the Delaware Valley School Board, is representing John Fisher, and attorney Tom Mincer is defending Susanne Fisher. Weinstein declined to comment on the case.

Mincer said Monday, “It is clear that this is not a criminal matter; it is a family dispute. We are extremely confident that all the parties will be exonerated.”

He said the Fishers have been known as “upstanding members of the community … for an awfully long time.”

“It is sad that their name has been dragged through the mud,” Mincer said.

A preliminary hearing on the charges is set for June 17 in Lancaster County, he said.

Departing Development Expert Says
Pike Needs To Diversify Its Economy

MILFORD — Director for the Pike County Economic Development Authority (PCEDA) and Pike Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) Michael Sullivan is leaving his position after 15 months of working to bring economic development to the county.

“I love this place and have never worked with nicer people,” said Sullivan noting how it was purely a business decision that is forcing him to leave. Sullivan, a native New York resident, will be the director of New Business Attraction for Orange County Partnership, an economic development organization whose main branch is located in Goshen, N.Y.

Sullivan will be leaving at the end of the month and told the Dispatch that he is quite confident a good, qualified replacement will be found. He first heard about the new job opening in New York six weeks ago and after submitting his application and going through the interview process, was informed two weeks ago that he got the job. He then submitted his resignation to the PCCC and PCEDA.

“Pike County has some wonderful attributes,” said the Deerpark, N.Y. resident and former Orange County Economic Development Director.

Sullivan has already laid the groundwork for the next replacement since he has hit almost every Pike County municipality and school district and obtained the endorsement from the Pike County Commissioners for the five-year tax abatement program that is aimed to attract more businesses to the area, a tool he says is needed. Sullivan also said he leaves around a dozen projects that are still pending that would be useful for the local economy.

“There is prosperity in the future, but Pike County still has to diversify since tourism cannot be the only thing it depends on to drive the local economy,” said Sullivan.

He said there are several obstacles that make it difficult to attract developers to the area such as not enough developable ground that is served by water, sewer and gas lines and the lengthy regulatory process it takes to site new businesses in Pike County.

Add to that the anti-development sentiment that is still prevalent in the county and it proves difficult to attract developers to the area.

“One of the hard things that occurs is there are many people that jump up and down and say “No” to development, which ends up scaring away any potential developers,” said Sullivan, while adding “It is good for the people that oppose it but it is not good for a healthy economy in Pike County... for complete story, get this week's issue.