California Charter School Founders To Stand Trial

The founders of a charter school in the San Fernando Valley will be arraigned next month on charges of embezzling more than $300,000.

After a monthlong preliminary hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Renee Korn ruled Wednesday there was sufficient evidence to require Yevgeny "Eugene" Selivanov, 38, to stand trial on 32 felony counts, including embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and tax fraud, according to Deputy District Attorney Sandi Roth.
Selivanov's wife, Tatyana Berkovich, 33, was ordered to stand trial on 15 felony counts, including embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and tax fraud, as well as one misdemeanor count of conflict of interest, according to the prosecutor, who is handling the case with colleague Dana Aratani.
Selivanov and Berkovich, who founded Ivy Academia charter school in 2004, are due back at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on May 11.
In a letter sent to Ivy Academia parents last June, the school noted that the charges "will in no way interrupt Ivy's day-to-day operations."
The Los Angeles Unified School District's Office of the Inspector General began an audit of Ivy Academia charter school in June 2006.
The case was referred to the district's Office of Investigations in August 2006, then to the District Attorney's Public Integrity Division in May 2008. The state Franchise Tax Board also investigated the case.
Charter schools are operated with public funds.