A former Bristol Township Parks and Recreation Director entered guilty pleas to felony theft and misdemeanor misapplication of government property charges and was sentenced to two years probation and pay restitution costs.
Jessica Ireland, 41, of Bristol Township, was arrested last April and most of the charges against her were dropped by Bucks County prosecutors at a June preliminary hearing.
At Tuesday’s hearing, before President Judge Raymond F. McHugh, Ireland’s lawyer, Jeffrey Allen Sigman of Trevose based Rovner Allen Rovner entered the guilty plea to the two remaining charges.
Bristol Township Randee Mazur read victims impact statement into the record before Ireland was sentenced detailing the impact of Ireland’s actions on the township community.
Credit: Bristol Twp
“We’re sharing the victim impact statement in its entirety out of respect for everyone affected,” Mazur said.
“Bristol Township respectfully asks the court to impose a sentence and disposition that reflects the deliberate, repeated, and concealed nature of this conduct, the opportunities she had to stop, and the damage caused to a public intuition, she was entrusted to serve.
“We ask the court to recognize the victims of this conduct include more than Bristol Twp as a corporate entity. They include our employees, our leadership, our public programs, and every resident who entrusted us to safeguard public resources.”
Ireland, when elevated to parks and recreation director was required to turn over her administrative access to the township’s Amazon Business account to the new secretary for the township manager. Ireland failed to do so, police said in court records.
In September 2025, Mazur became aware of unauthorized charges on the township Amazon Business account, police said Ireland told officials the charges were a mistake and that she believed she was using her personal account, police said in court papers.
An internal audit of the account revealed 370 unauthorized purchases totaling $14,000 between March and December 2025, according to the probable cause.
Ireland said, according to court records, she was using her personal Venmo account to collect $340 for raffle tickets during the Fall Festival.
The funds, police said, were never turned over to the township.
Ireland, according to the probable cause, allegedly said she had a impulsive spending issue. She admitted to investigators she would spend money recklessly.