Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Lafayette School's ex-chief charged in embezzlement in Virginia

The former head of the Lafayette School & Treatment Center in Charlottesville is accused of stealing $27,000 from the school, the Albemarle County Police Department announced Monday.
Mary P. Anderson, 40, is charged with embezzlement.

Anderson is listed as living in Charlottesville, but court papers indicate she was a Fishersville resident when authorities executed a search warrant at her Abbey Court home in September.

According to the search warrant, Anderson, while director of the school, is suspected of opening an unauthorized credit card account through the school in January 2008, and listed her address as Kents Store, where she used to live. The alleged thefts took place during a three-year period.

The credit card was obtained through the Internet, according to court records.

Anderson is accused of buying nearly $1,000 in new shoes, $1,300 in clothing and more than $6,000 in scrapbooking materials, court records show.

Authorities seized bank records from Anderson’s Fishersville home, along with scrapbooking materials, phone records, five pairs of shoes and school records.

The Lafayette School & Treatment Center serves children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems in a therapeutic day school environment, according to the school’s website. It opened in 1999.

The alleged financial discrepancies were discovered during an audit in January when the school’s new director, Barrett Stump, “found several questionable purchases” made by Anderson, the search warrant states.

An Albemarle grand jury indicted Anderson on Dec. 7. A hearing date will be set on Thursday.

Anderson is free on a personal recognizance

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