Couple spent thousands from orphans' trust

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A western Pennsylvania couple are under investigation for lavish spending from a trust fund set up for twin orphaned relatives they adopted.

An accounting filed with the Orphans Court in Allegheny County shows that Daniel and Merily Pompa of Cranberry, Pa., have withdrawn $15,000 a month from the trust since July 2005, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Thursday. The Pompas have spent $1.5 million since 2004.

The twins, now 13, became orphans in 2003 when their father, Leslie John Young, killed his wife, Lisa, and himself. Merily Pompa, Lisa Young's cousin, and her husband, a chiropractor, adopted the children, and the Youngs' assets were put in trust.

According to the accounting, $800,000 remains in the trust, only $335,000 in cash and stocks. The rest includes the Pompas' house in Cranberry and a condominium at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

They reported spending $529 for a toilet paper holder in the shape of a monkey and $23,941 for a home theater system.

The Allegheny County District Attorney is investigating the Pompas' handling of the trust fund. A judge in November froze the assets.