EASTON, Pa. — Former Hellertown police chief Robert Shupp pleaded guilty to charges of theft and forgery for taking tens of thousands of dollars of borough money, the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Shupp pleaded guilty Monday to theft, theft by deception and forgery — all felony charges that each carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
According to investigators, Shupp was paid for more than 1,600 hours he falsely claimed he worked from 2020 to 2023, totaling more than $81,000.
Additionally, he used falsified forms to request and receive roughly $22,000 in $20 bills from the borough for undercover drug investigations that didn’t exist, charging documents say.
Prosecutors also alleged that, as police chief, Shupp alone had access to the safe in which Hellertown police stored nearly $20,000 in seized cash, typically from defendants in drug cases.
When investigators opened that safe, they found only $32.58, according to court records.
County prosecutors initially charged Shupp in 2023 with a total of 18 counts including forgery, theft, tampering with official records and receiving stolen property. The district attorney’s office dismissed the other 15 charges as part of a plea deal.
Though initially charged with stealing $122,000, Shupp was required to pay $41,000 in restitution immediately after entering his guilty plea, the district attorney's office said.
A sentencing hearing before Northampton County Judge John Morganelli is set for April 23.
