A former school secretary who stole more than $135,000 in East High School students' activity fees over several years has admitted to the theft, the largest in Anchorage School District history.
Gayle White, 46, entered a plea deal with state prosecutors. On Monday she pleaded guilty to second-degree theft, reduced from the original charges of first-degree theft and scheme to defraud.
White, a Wasilla resident, was working at Chugiak High School when officials discovered in 2011 she had stolen about $5,000, bit by bit, from fees students paid in cash for various school activities. The school district fired her in April 2011.
While she was on probation in that case, police learned that White had stolen much more during previous employment at East High School.
Police said White had stolen about $100,500 from 2006 to 2009 from East High when the charges were first filed. The school district said it had been the largest single incidence of theft they had ever seen.
After the Monday plea hearing, Deputy District Attorney Clint Campion said the total amount was more than $135,000, which White must pay back as restitution. White has made a $5,000 "down payment" and was ordered to pay $1,000 per month, Campion said.
White was sentenced to serve three months behind bars and may be eligible to serve that time on electronic ankle monitor, Campion said.
"She can't pay restitution if she's in jail," he said.
Showing posts with label alaska. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alaska. Show all posts
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Woman indicted in Anchorage school embezzlement case
A 45-year-old woman has been indicted in the theft of more than $80,000 from East High School in Anchorage when she worked there.
Gayle White was indicted on two counts of scheming to defraud, theft and misapplication of property.
Prosecutors say the thefts occurred between August 2006 and June 2009 when White worked as the activities secretary before she left to work at Chugiak High School.
Prosecutors say an internal audit by the Anchorage School District showed accounting discrepancies for cash handled by White.
White's attorney, Pamela Dale, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
White, who was indicted May 24, pleaded guilty in 2011 to a theft case involving Chugiak High. White was accused of stealing money between November 2009 and March 2011 when she worked there.
Gayle White was indicted on two counts of scheming to defraud, theft and misapplication of property.
Prosecutors say the thefts occurred between August 2006 and June 2009 when White worked as the activities secretary before she left to work at Chugiak High School.
Prosecutors say an internal audit by the Anchorage School District showed accounting discrepancies for cash handled by White.
White's attorney, Pamela Dale, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
White, who was indicted May 24, pleaded guilty in 2011 to a theft case involving Chugiak High. White was accused of stealing money between November 2009 and March 2011 when she worked there.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Anchorage School District Employees Face Embezzlement Charges
The Anchorage School District comes under fire again today (4/21) after officials reveal several district employees are facing charges for embezzlement.
One Chugiak high school employee has been charged with felony theft and falsification of business documents and three other employees from Chugiak, West and O'Malley elementary are under investigation.
Superintendent carol comeau says tens of thousands of dollars were potentially stolen, but police are still unsure when the theft began and exactly how much was taken.
While the money was taken from activity fees, fines, and other cash transactions; Comeau says all student have been reimbursed and the four employees in question have been fired.
"We're taking this very, very seriously," said Carol Comeau, superintendent for the Anchorage School District. "We appreciate the employees who stepped forward and reported it, and they took a risk, because they're their colleagues that they reported, but on the same token they knew it was wrong and they wanted it to stop."
Officials say hundreds of thousands of dollars pass through Anchorage's high schools annually and roughly 20 percent are cash transactions.
However despite the thousands of dollars in cash flowing through schools every day, Chief Financial Officer Chad Stiteler says the district relies primarily on a manual accounting system.
Cash transactions are documented by hand and the terminated employees were able to siphon student funds without raising any red flags within the system.
While Stiteler calls the district's financial controls "reasonable" the crimes were eventually brought to light by concerned parents and coworkers rather than a discrepancy in district records.
"We'll be moving away from paper receipts," said Chad Stiteler, CFO for the Anchorage School District. "We'll be automating it through our financial system so that we can centrally have a great emphasis of oversight, to be able to point out any concerns that we see, centrally, to the school supervisors."
The district is still working towards implementing an automated accounting system.
One Chugiak high school employee has been charged with felony theft and falsification of business documents and three other employees from Chugiak, West and O'Malley elementary are under investigation.
Superintendent carol comeau says tens of thousands of dollars were potentially stolen, but police are still unsure when the theft began and exactly how much was taken.
While the money was taken from activity fees, fines, and other cash transactions; Comeau says all student have been reimbursed and the four employees in question have been fired.
"We're taking this very, very seriously," said Carol Comeau, superintendent for the Anchorage School District. "We appreciate the employees who stepped forward and reported it, and they took a risk, because they're their colleagues that they reported, but on the same token they knew it was wrong and they wanted it to stop."
Officials say hundreds of thousands of dollars pass through Anchorage's high schools annually and roughly 20 percent are cash transactions.
However despite the thousands of dollars in cash flowing through schools every day, Chief Financial Officer Chad Stiteler says the district relies primarily on a manual accounting system.
Cash transactions are documented by hand and the terminated employees were able to siphon student funds without raising any red flags within the system.
While Stiteler calls the district's financial controls "reasonable" the crimes were eventually brought to light by concerned parents and coworkers rather than a discrepancy in district records.
"We'll be moving away from paper receipts," said Chad Stiteler, CFO for the Anchorage School District. "We'll be automating it through our financial system so that we can centrally have a great emphasis of oversight, to be able to point out any concerns that we see, centrally, to the school supervisors."
The district is still working towards implementing an automated accounting system.
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