Millmont Woman to Stand Trial in Alleged $50K American Legion Theft

Pamela D. Hackenburg, of Millmont, will stand trial in Union County Court on felony theft charges alleging she stole roughly $50,096 from American Legion Post 410 in Mifflinburg while serving as a volunteer treasurer and bookkeeper for the veterans' organization. Prosecutors moved the case forward Thursday, closing the pretrial phase and pushing the matter toward a full courtroom proceeding at the Union County Courthouse in Lewisburg.

The allegations span late 2023 through 2024, a period during which Hackenburg held access to the post's drop safe and performed routine bookkeeping duties. According to the criminal complaint, money was taken from Legion accounts on multiple occasions. Board members at Post 410 first grew suspicious after discovering returned checks and discrepancies in bank deposits tied to cash-handling procedures, and it was those internal irregularities that prompted the formal report to law enforcement.

The case carries an additional layer of public scrutiny because of Hackenburg's prior criminal history. She was previously convicted and sentenced in Centre County in a separate, high-profile embezzlement case stemming from her time in an elected municipal role. In those earlier proceedings, she admitted to misappropriating large sums and acknowledged using the funds for private gambling activity, a pattern prosecutors have cited as relevant context in presenting the Union County charges.

For American Legion Post 410, the consequences extend beyond the $50,096 figure. The board described both the financial strain and the reputational damage of having a trusted volunteer accused of systematically draining the organization's accounts. The post relies on those funds to support veterans' services and community programming in Mifflinburg.

Should Hackenburg be convicted at trial, she faces the possibility of prison time, mandatory restitution, and additional penalties under Pennsylvania law. The case also arrives as a pointed reminder for veterans' organizations and local nonprofits across Union County: volunteer access to cash, drop safes, and bookkeeping systems carries real risk without dual-signature requirements, periodic audits, and financial oversight protocols in place.