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A former South Greensbug, PA fire chief charged with theft by the Pennsylvania state police last month is set to be evaluated to determine his mental health status, including whether he has a gambling disorder.
A motion for the evaluation filed by defense attorney Brian Aston indicates Matthew White, 49, of Hempfield, needs a forensic evaluation. That motion was approved last week by a judge.
White is accused of stealing $170,000 from the South Greensburg Fire Department. He was taken into custody in South Carolina and has since been extradited back to Pennsylvania after being charged on February 9 with the felony.
Police were notified by White’s family days prior to his arrest that they were concerned for his well-being, which led authorities to look at his bank accounts and cellphone.
A related review of fire department records showed transfers totaling $170,000 into White’s bank account since 2023, according to court papers. Troopers accuse him of using fire department funds to buy donations through an online checkout system and then transferring the money to himself.
The motion for forensic evaluation indicated White “may be suffering from a mental health disorder or disorders, including but not limited to a gambling-related addiction.”
Police are investigating any organization where White had access to money. His voicemail indicated he had connections to St. Clair Cemetery in Hempfield.
He was removed from the fire department after the arrest and South Greensburg officials said no taxpayer money was affected.
The Truth About Gambling Disorders
Gambling disorders are classified as a behavioral addiction where someone has persistent, hard-to-control urges to gamble.
It is officially classified in in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the same manual that includes conditions like depression and substance addictions.
Though rare in the United States, judges sometimes accept gambling addiction as a mitigating factor while courts in the United Kingdom and Australia often reduce sentences when a defendant had a diagnosed gambling disorder.
Because most gambling-related crimes involve planning and awareness of the illegality, it becomes much more difficult to argue lack of culpability.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
