Sandy Township filed a civil complaint in the Court of Common Pleas in Clearfield County, on Thursday, asking for a delay in its planned merger with the City of DuBois in light of the criminal charges the DuBois manager is facing and questions about the city’s finances.
In 2021, voters in Sandy Township and the City of DuBois approved consolidating the two Clearfield County municipalities. Sandy Township said it still plans to move forward with the consolidation. But, it says, that’s not possible until the criminal investigation and a forensic audit into DuBois’ finances are finished.
John “Herm” Suplizio is facing felony charges of theft. He's currently on leave from his position. The state Attorney General alleges Suplizio used money from the city and the Dubois Area United Way to pay his personal credit card bills, make political donations and gamble. He’s accused of committing more than $600,000 in fraudulent transactions.
Sandy Township’s complaint says the charges and other financial issues show that the information used to study the consolidation before the vote cannot be relied on.
And the complaint alleges that since the charges were filed, other financial questions have come up. In one example, the complaint cites reports that on May 2 the city’s solicitor delivered $92,000 in cash in a bag to the city, and it’s not known where the money came from.
Read the Sandy Township complaint here:
