WILLIAMSPORT – A clerk in the Lycoming County prothonotary’s office has been put on unpaid administrative leave after being charged with stealing $41,000 from a homeowners association.

The county took the action Tuesday against Ryan A. Workman, 28, a day after state police charged him with theft, forgery, receiving stolen property and tampering with records. He was released on $25,000 unsecured bail.

Workman, a well-known tenor who has sung sacred music at the Vatican, has confessed to stealing the money from the Homewood Oaks Townhouse Association in suburban Loyalsock Twp. where he lives with his grandparents.

The arrest affidavit cites a letter of apology he wrote to the association that states in part: “I stole because I was desperate – but it is not an excuse.”

In continues: “My conscience will be guilty the rest of my life but I need you all to know I can pay back 100 percent of every penny that rightfully belongs to the association. Settling the matter out of court is the only way to do so.”

The investigation that led to the charges began April 1 when it was discovered the association’s bank account had incurred high fees and a $36 check had been returned.

A bank manager informed the association that Workman last Oct. 25 had tried to deposit a $2,000 personal check into the business account but it was returned due to insufficient funds, the charges state.

He also is accused of cashing without authorization a $5,000 association certificate of deposit in January and transferring the funds into the group’s checking account.

Workman helped his grandmother, Barbara Folk, but he was not authorized to sign checks, police said. Folk is the association treasurer. The arrest affidavit alleges the following is what Workman told four association members April 1 when he was questioned about the low account balance and the $36 returned check:

“This is so embarrassing to me because I have no excuse. I never planned to keep it and was going to replace it.”

He is alleged to have admitted he took approximately $40,000, adding “it was so easy. It was like getting an interest–free loan.”

Workman claimed he kept two sets of books and fudged bank statements, the affidavit states. He had association safe deposit keys, checkbook and files, police said.

Besides singing at the Vatican, Workman has performed locally, appeared in leading roles in operas and has a CD entitled “Sacred Songs & Arias.”

In 2014 he became the first vocalist to win the Susquehanna University concerto competition.