Hearing for council aide postponed

By Joseph A. Slobodzian, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Posted: July 24, 2012

Today's scheduled preliminary hearing for Philadelphia City Council aide Nancy Gonzalez was postponed to Sept. 10 after prosecution and defense lawyers said the hearing would be protracted.

Gonzalez, 51, was arrested last Tuesday and charged with multiple counts of theft and other crimes after being accused of stealing Social Security checks from an elderly woman in her care.

Gonzalez made a brief appearance before Municipal Court Judge David C. Shuter and was given a subpoena to report for the hearing on Sept. 10. She remains free on unsecured $5,000 bail.

The investigation, first reported in the Philadelphia Daily News, began when police officers discovered Iris Galarza, 88, living in filth and squalor in her Kensington home.

Investigators later determined that Gonzalez, who was the person responsible for receiving Galarza's benefit checks, had allegedly stolen $24,688 since 2008.

Gonzalez, a city employee for 32 years, worked as a secretary under former Council President Anna C. Verna, who retired this year, and retained her position under new President Darrell L. Clarke.

Among her responsibilities was producing commendations and declarations for Council members. Gonzalez, whose salary was about $60,000, had no access to city finances.

A spokesman for Clarke's office said today that Gonzalez had taken a leave of absence.

Contact Joseph A. Slobodzian at 215-854-2985 or jslobodzian@phillynews.com.

Index by Keyword
|
Index by Date
|
About Philly.com
|
Contact Us
|
Terms of Use & Privacy Statement
|
Copyright 2013