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A former Philadelphia Museum of Art executive admitted on Friday to using company credit cards to make approximately $30,000 in personal purchases, the Inquirer reports.
Latasha Harling, the museum’s former chief people and diversity officer, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, averting a trial that had been scheduled for Friday.
Common Pleas Court Judge Leon King II sentenced Harling, 44, to five years of probation for the misdemeanor offense. King also ordered her to pay the museum $30,000 in restitution in monthly installments of at least $500, beginning in January. If she pays the full amount before her probation ends, however, Harling may request early termination of her probation.
Harling joined the museum in November 2023 as its inaugural chief people officer (CPO), overseeing human resources and diversity initiatives. Her budgetary responsibilities, the Inquirer noted, included access to corporate credit cards. An affidavit of probable cause filed in connection with her arrest recounts how museum officials grew suspicious of her activities in January 2025, after being alerted to a series of significant, seemingly personal purchases on her credit card statements. A subsequent audit by the museum’s chief financial officer found that Harling had charged $58,885 in personal expenses to the card since her hiring.
Harling was offered the opportunity to repay $32,565 to the museum, the affidavit states. She resigned shortly thereafter, with the credit card expenses still outstanding. The museum then sought to recover the money: The following February, Harling signed a promissory note agreeing to repay $19,380 over three months. After receiving no payments by April, the museum contacted police.
A spokesperson for the museum said in a statement that its officials are “grateful that the case” is resolved and that “we look forward to returning our focus to the exhibitions, programs, and experiences we provide for our community.”