Rebecca Peterson, 46, of Polk faces multiple felony charges after allegedly keeping $1,420 raised on GoFundMe for her 2021‑deceased daughter’s funeral instead of paying the Franklin funeral home’s $6,765 balance, despite repeated requests from the director. Police warned Peterson in May 2025 to settle the debt by June 16; when she failed, they filed theft‑by‑deception and related counts. The same day, Peterson was sentenced in an unrelated case to two months in Venango County jail but did not disclose that sentence during arraignment on another warrant, leading to her release and a separate felony escape charge. She was arraigned June 25 and has a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Central Court.
To read this complete article, visit it on our website or pick up a copy of The Derrick or The News-Herald for July 2, 2025.
