Ex-Pittsburgh-Area Youth Football League Director Accused Of Huge Theft

PITTSBURGH, PA — The former director of a southwestern Pennsylvania youth football league has been charged with diverting almost a quarter of a million dollars in league assets to personal accounts.

According to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, William Spencer, 57, was director of the Washington/Greene Youth Football League — now known as the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League (WPYFL) — from 2013 until he resigned in March 2025. Spencer is accused of using d league funds to his accounts to fund credit cards, bolster a retirement account, and make various purchases at Amazon, restaurants, and other retailers.

Spencer has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property and two misdemeanor counts of misapplication of entrusted property. He is not in custody.

“Our investigators in this case untangled a five-year web of theft that impaired this youth sports league while lining the pockets of the defendant,” Sunday said in a statement. “These are very serious
charges regarding criminal conduct that betrayed financial contributors to the league’s prosperity, as well as the many coaches and young athletes involved in the league.”

In total, Spencer fraudulently wrote 187 checks payable to himself from WPYFL’s accounts, totaling about $230,000, from January 4, 2020, through February 18, 2025.

Additionally, Spencer made direct payments totaling over $3,000 from WPYFL’s accounts to accounts in his and/or his wife’s name, without the knowledge or consent of WPYFL.