Ex-Fluvanna day care worker guilty of embezzlement in Virginia

The former director of a Fluvanna County day care center has been convicted of embezzling funds and depositing some of them into her personal bank account.

Tracy Lin Shifflett, 37, entered Alford pleas on Thursday in Fluvanna County Circuit Court to four counts of embezzlement and one count of money laundering from ABC Preschool in 2007 and 2008. Her attorney, Michael Hallahan, said in court that his client theoretically could have faced 400 years in prison if she was convicted on the original 21 counts.
“In view of the evidence, the defense believes the jury would acquit or convict on all [of the charges],” Hallahan said in court.
An Alford plea means Shifflett maintains her innocence while acknowledging that there is enough evidence for her to be convicted.
Francis C. Terwilliger, assistant commonwealth’s attorney, said in court that Shifflett was responsible for receiving and depositing payments from parents. ABC owner Peggy Johnson reviewed the records in August 2008, Terwilliger said in court, and noticed that the preschool’s bookkeeping procedures hadn’t been followed. The prosecutor said in court that Shifflett handed in her resignation in order to work for her husband’s lawn care business when Johnson tried to meet with her to reconcile the books.
After a review of its books, Terwilliger said in court, the Palmyra preschool was unable to account for $27,509.18. Authorities have said they also found receipts for building supplies during the time when Shifflett was building a house and for beer and cigarettes, as well as a check that appears to have been tampered with. Terwilliger said in court that Johnson estimated her total losses at about $30,000.
The money laundering count relates to cash deposits into Shifflett’s bank accounts, Terwilliger said in court.
Under the plea agreement, Shifflett’s charges were consolidated into incidents over six-month time periods.
Hallahan said in court that his client now works with her husband’s lawn care business, takes care of two of their children and is trying to get custody of two other children who aren’t hers. Both attorneys said she doesn’t have a prior criminal history.
Shifflett is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 18. She remains out on bond.