SUNBURY – Justin Dunkelberger is now the ex-Northumberland County Prothonotary and is jailed in Centre County prison. Dunkelberger resigned Monday morning as part of a guilty plea to theft, election fraud charges and DUI. The plea agreement calls for him to step down, and serve jail time. He was taken into custody at the conclusion of the plea.
Dunkelberger stood before the judge and entered a plea of guilty to three separate misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to serve from 3-days to 6-months in jail, for a misdemeanor DUI charge, which also carries a $1,000 fine and a one-year suspension of his driver’s license.
Additionally, he received two years probation for the charge of misapplication of funds and a $500 fine. He received one year probation for violating election laws. The probation sentences are to be served consecutively, so he’ll serve a total of three years probation.
In connection with these charges, Dunkelberger was forced to resign from his elected office immediately, and he can never again hold elected office in Pennsylvania. He has also lost his right to vote in elections for a period of 4 years.
The 39-year-old elected leader was charged with stealing over $12,000 from the Phil Lockcuff Memorial Scholarship Fund. He was also accused of using some of the funds in his election campaign and not reporting those funds. The scholarship fund has resumed disbursements to students and is planning more scholarship announcements soon, at an upcoming awards assembly at Shikellamy High School.
