DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Police say a trust fund used to bury fallen officers and help their families was looted of $92,833 by two of their own.

Falls Officer Katherine A. Leese is accused of stealing $87,533 from the Fraternal Order of Police trust fund, and Southampton Officer Gerald Conaway is charged with jacking the other $5,500.

Leese, 42, and Conaway, 66, were arrested yesterday and charged with felony theft by unlawful taking or disposition, criminal conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Leese, of the 800 block of North Street, Langhorne, also was charged with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, according to her criminal complaint.

Almost as soon as Leese was elected treasurer of the Bucks County FOP Lodge 53 in Wrightstown (February 2006), she allegedly started to transfer money from the Police and Fire Federal Credit Union fund to her own account at the credit union, Henry said.

A nine-year veteran, Leese used the $87,533 for credit card and mortgage payments, according to District Attorney Michelle Henry.

Leese allegedly made 24 electronic transfers via Internet between February 2006 and June 2007 from the FOP account to her own totaling $87,533, according to a forensic audit, said county detectives Thomas Thiel and Greg Langston in their criminal complaint.

Conaway, of the 300 block of Maple Avenue, Southampton, is president of the FOP who retired after 35 years as a cop. He learned of the transfers and allegedly asked Leese if it was alright to do that. She allegedly said yes and twice transferred the $5,500 to his personal account, Henry said.

"These two individual officers were elected by fellow police officers to a position of trust as treasurer and president," Henry said. "They are charged with the responsibility to uphold the law and they violated it for their own benefit.

"This is a shame that these individuals took the money. I think for someone charged to uphold the law in a professional position elected to a position of trust then to have the audacity to take the money and use it to pay credit card bills is astounding. It's a betrayal of trust time and time again."

The problem was discovered in September 2007 when the FOP's certified public accountant preparing the books for the annual income tax return discovered that a considerable chunk of change was missing from the fund. He told the FOP's financial secretary Richard Frederick, who took action and called detectives.

The FOP's account is used to pay for fallen duty officers' funerals and help their families financially. The money for the account comes from annual fundraisers and donations, Henry said.

Leese told county detectives she made some deposits back into the account, but took it back out almost immediately, Henry said, adding that the accused thieving cop "was cooking the books. She would put it in and then take it out. When they were caught, the two defendants pointed the finger at each other.

"Both of them knew what was going on."

Leese is on leave from the Falls Township police, a department spokesperson said. Conaway said he is working full time for SCI Corporation, a funeral services industry.

In the span of hours yesterday, they were arrested, processed and arraigned before District Justice Donald Nasshorn in Newtown Borough.

"They both cooperated and turned themselves in. I ask you to please consider the seriousness of the crime and the breech of trust when setting bail," Thiel told Nasshorn at the arraignment as Leese sat quietly sobbing at the defense table.

Nasshorn released Conaway on $100,000 recognizance bail and Leese on $500,000 recognizance bail. The preliminary hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. Aug. 25.