Easton NAACP Head Charged With Theft

Northampton County prosecutors have charged the head of Easton's NAACP with stealing $55,000 from his mother-in-law, using some of that money to pay his taxes.

John Robinson, 66, of 174 Pennsylvania Ave. was arraigned Wednesday on two felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor count of misapplication of entrusted property.

According to court papers, Robinson's mother-in-law, Marilyn Ramsey, came to stay with him last year while waiting for a new apartment to become available. He and his wife had separated.

Prosecutors say Robinson took $55,000 from Ramsey, and used the money for a variety of expenses, including "the care of his three children, educational experience, travel for his son to soccer, travel to Europe, clothes, glasses, college and taxes."

Those taxes included the county, city and school property taxes on  , a now-defunct business located at the Stewart Silk Mill property on Easton's South Side. It's one of the properties the city recently .

Robinson was arraigned before , and was free on bail. According to the Express-Times, he also serves on Northampton County's Prison Board. County Executive John Stoffa told the paper that Robinson's security access to the prison had been revoked.