This story has been updated.
An Audubon woman has been charged with looting $9,400 from a South Jersey competitive cheerleading squad to help what she believed was a man she had met through an online dating site, police said Friday.
"She got scammed," Audubon Police Detective Tim Stillman said of Susan Loberto, who, until her arrest Tuesday, was treasurer of the Oaklyn Cats Cheerleading Club.
Loberto, 50, told police she met a man through Chemistry.com about a month ago and became emotionally involved with him. The man told her he was from Pennsylvania but was on a construction project in Africa, she said. He was having problems accessing his bank account and asked for her help.
Loberto cashed six checks totaling $9,400 from the Cats' account and bought MoneyGrams she sent to Ghana, according to authorities. Investigators have not determined the identity of the MoneyGrams recipient.
Loberto admitted forging a second signature on the checks and cashing them, authorities said. She has been charged with check fraud.
The Oaklyn Cats is a competitive cheerleading team for middle schoolers. Its members come from Oaklyn, Audubon, and Mount Ephraim.
Mount Ephraim and Audubon police launched a joint investigation Monday after they were notified about irregularities in the account. Mount Ephraim police are still investigating, Stillman said.
Melissa Lazada, a club spokesowoman, said its board would have no comment outside a statement in which they thank the groups supporters and said, "we are moving forward in a positive manner and confident our season will continue as planned."
Contact Joseph Gambardello at 856-779-3844 or jgambardello@phillynews.com.
