Bucks County man stole more than $103,000 from 15 people with intellectual disabilities, authorities say

A Bucks County man stole more than $103,000 from 15 people with intellectual disabilities by manipulating them and abusing their trust over the course of six years, authorities said.

Quay Fetherson, 36, was charged with financial exploitation of a care-dependent person, identity theft, and related crimes for his schemes from 2018 to 2024, Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Alexander Blumenthal said Monday.

Fetherson was arrested May 27 and was released on an unsecured bail of $375,000, according to court records.

Fetherson was a fiscal liaison for Community Options Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities acquire housing and employment, and built trust with the 15 people who lived at homes overseen by the organization, Blumenthal said.

Fetherson would persuade some of the victims to sign their checks over to him and pay for his personal expenses, Blumenthal said.

Fetherson would forge their signatures on checks and would drive them to banks to withdraw money he would then steal, prosecutors said.

Community Options could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.

In a statement read by Blumenthal on Monday, Community Options said it was cooperating with the investigation into Fetherson and lamented the alleged thefts from people under its care and supervision.

The organization said there would be safeguards put into place in the future to prevent such a situation from happening again.

Community Options said of the allegations in the statement: “We are deeply saddened and outraged by the actions of a former employee who stole from the personal accounts of individuals with disabilities entrusted to our care in Philadelphia. This individual was entrusted with significant responsibility and abused that position for personal gain.”