Former treasurer for Hagerstown youth hockey group indicted in stealing at least $100K

A former treasurer of the Hagerstown Youth Hockey Association has been indicted on a felony theft-scheme charge of stealing at least $100,000 from the youth sports group, according to Washington County court records and Hagerstown Police.

Whitney Blair Beach, 36, of Waynesboro, Pa., was indicted Wednesday by a Washington County grand jury on the felony charge as well as a misdemeanor count of being a fiduciary of the association trust who fraudulently and willfully appropriated money from the youth hockey group, court records state.

Beach is scheduled to make her initial appearance in Washington County Circuit Court in this case in early December, according to an online court docket.

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In an email Thursday, Hagerstown Youth Hockey Association President James Compher wrote that association officials declined to comment and referred questions to Hagerstown Police.

Hagerstown Police Lt. Chad Woodring, in an email Thursday, confirmed Beach is a former treasurer for the hockey association.

"The HYHA brought the situation to HPD’s attention after discovering accounting irregularities. An investigation was conducted leading to the indictment," Woodring wrote.

According to the indictment, the alleged theft occurred around Aug. 20, 2017, to Oct. 28, 2020.

The youth hockey association uses the Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex in Fairgrounds Park, but the rink is separate from the HYHA, according to an email from Chad Ziegler, the complex's hockey director.

According to the youth hockey association's website, the nonprofit educates young people about the rules and skills of the game; provides an organized hockey program for area youth; develops players for the association's programs and area high school club programs; and provides for participation through scholarship.

The association's hockey teams play as the Hagerstown Bulldogs, according to the website.