Former burrell cheerleading boosters treasurer charged with theft — Man holding dollar bills roll, corruption payment, dirty money, financial fraud

LOWER BURRELL, Pa. — The former treasurer of the Burrell Cheerleading Boosters has been charged with theft, receiving stolen property, and writing bad checks following an investigation by the Lower Burrell Police Department and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.

Ashley Freiberg, 40, was charged after police were alerted in July to missing funds from the youth cheerleading organization. As the booster treasurer, Freiberg was responsible for managing all financial transactions and overseeing donations.

The investigation began after the booster organization was informed in February 2024 that its account had been overdrawn by more than $2,500 and subsequently closed. When confronted by the board, Freiberg claimed the issue was related to the bank’s checks and stated she had been using personal checks to cover expenses for the organization. However, she allegedly refused to provide the board with the banking information.

Police uncovered documentation revealing a series of fraudulent transactions from the organization’s account. These transactions included payments to Comcast, FanDuel, Verizon, Betfair, Live! Casino, Rivers Casino, and multiple ATM withdrawals between April 2022 and February 2024. Investigators also discovered that Freiberg had transferred money from the booster’s account to her personal account via the Zelle app on at least three occasions.

According to the Lower Burrell Police, the total amount of money allegedly misappropriated by Freiberg from the booster organization exceeds $18,900.

Freiberg now faces multiple charges as authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the alleged theft.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.