The various defendants then received, for their own personal use, portions of the state money. The Alabama Attorney Generals Office also assisted in the investigation. As a result of this, districts received payments from Alabamas Education Trust Fund as if the students actually attended public schools. Former Athens City Schools superintendent Trey Holladay was sentenced Thursday afternoon to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a multiyear scheme to. Andy Trotter . Terms of Use Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross, Alice S. LaCour, and Brett J. Talley are prosecuting the case. The high number of counts, a total of of 127, is because each alleged instance of fraudulent enrollment and identity theft is a separate count. The investigation remains ongoing and confidential at the request of federal officials. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Thomas Sisk was the superintendent of the Limestone County, Alabama School District during the times investigated. Former Athens, Limestone superintendents face federal conspiracy, fraud charges; Carter placed on leave, ACS Board reads prepared statement at Thursdays special meeting, keeps Carter on leave, Fraud by Wire, Radio or Television (87 counts), Fraud with Identification Documents (35 counts), Fraud by Wire, Radio or Television (6 counts), Fraud by Wire, Radio or Television (85 counts), Whats old is new again: Joe Davis Stadium comes back to life ahead of HFC season-opener, Former FBI investigator gives insight on Texas shooter manhunt, FBI confirms law enforcement action taken at Athens City Schools superintendents home. Any defendant convicted of wire or mail fraud faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. (STOCK) The trial date in a multi-million dollar fraud case against former Athens Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and two others has been delayed until early 2022. The Athens City Board of Education voted 5-2 Wednesday to hire William "Trey" Holladay as superintendent contingent on contract approval. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. See WAFFs story below from October 2020 when the Athens City Board of Education removed Holladay from his role as Superintendent. Pomona Unified School District or PUSD serves approximately 30,000 Pre-K-12 students and 17,000 adult learners at 44 schools in Pomona and Diamond Bar, California.It is located 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and is the third-largest school district in Los Angeles County.. Those students continued to attend brick-and-mortar private schools each day, continued to participate in private school athletics and their parents continued to pay tuition to the private schools. Show All Show Calendar. The six-day protest was their first in decades and led to a 6% raise for teachers, added nurses and school . Athens, Alabama. As a result of this, districts received payments from Alabamas Education Trust Fund as if the students actually attended public schools. School of Extended Educational Options (SEEO), http://www.pusd.org/education/sctemp/d3791dd2c7ae6f68b7dd64a4d6adcbf7/1208669480/District_Boundry_Map.pdf, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pomona_Unified_School_District&oldid=1149498594, Deputy Superintendent, Human Resources: Darren Knowles, Interim Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services: Lilia Fuentes, Interim Assistant Superintendent, Chief Financial Officer: Sandra Garcia, Assistant Superintendent, Pupil & Community Services: Fernando Meza, Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design, Lorbeer Middle School - California Distinguished School, 1999; National Blue Ribbon School, 19992000, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 16:31. He left that post in February of 2020. According to court records and information contained in Holladays plea agreement, Holladay and Sisk gave the state lists of enrolled students who were, in reality, full-time students at private schools located in other parts of the state. Trey Holladay, the mastermind of the virtual school scam, was hit with a lengthy prison sentence and hefty fine. Upon reviewing the allegations against Dr. Rick Carter, Athens City Schools has placed him on administrative leave until further notice. As a result of the fraudulent reporting the school systems received payments from Alabamas Education Trust Fund as if the students actually attended public schools. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The school system will continue to work with federal officials and the Alabama State Department of Education as the matter proceeds in court. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. The students whose identities were used in the scheme had little to no connection to the public school districts, federal officials confirmed. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to fraudulently enroll students in public virtual schools and then falsely report those students to the Alabama State Department of Education. Limestone Co Indictment by WAFF 48 on Scribd. The public schools in those counties are made up almost entirely of Black students. In reality, however, the participants of the scheme were falsifying student names and using the personal information of actively enrolled private school students to bump up enrollment numbers. The U.S. Department of Justice released an indictment Tuesday related to the investigation of a former Superintendent of Athens City Schools. The FBI started investigating Holladays home in June 2020. A federal judge granted the motion on Dec. 7. Courtesy photos This funding was used in part to fund. DIVISION II STATE CHAMPIONS. Crusader. RELATED: Limestone County Schools Superintendent Tom Sisk heading to Bristol, TN Board of Education. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Date: 8/14/2023. The DOJ reminds the public that an indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Carter will be sentenced in August. . Six people, including two former superintendents, are named in the indictment. ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - Former Athens superintendent, William Lee Trey Holladay has entered a guilty plea for a conspiracy charge. All six of the defendants are charged with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. That is completely unacceptable, said Kori Smith, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector Generals Southeastern Regional Office. They also concocted a scheme in which Tutt, Corkren and Deborah Holladay, Trey Holladays wife, created consulting companies that allegedly recruited students to the virtual schools. Corkren and Tutt each faced a sentence of up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Robert Bentley's resignation for similar crimes. A sentencing date has not been set for Holladay. Advertisement. In fact, as mentioned during the Justice Departments press conference, the indictment does not include any current Limestone County School employees. All rights reserved. Superintendent Trey Holladay is shown in a photo on the Athens City Schools website. Retired teacher Gregory Greg Earl Corkren was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison and must pay $1.3 million in restitution, and former Marengo Academy football coach David Webb Tutt was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and must pay restitution of $259,000 and a fine of $15,000. The indictment further alleges that the defendants went to various lengths to conceal the fraud from the state.Such lengths included: creating fake report cards, manufacturing false addresses for the students of the private schools who lived outside of Alabama, and submitting falsified course completion reports to the state department of education. When he entered his guilty plea, Holladay admitted that he, along with co-defendant Thomas Michael Sisk, superintendent of the Limestone County Schools system (LCS), conspired to fraudulently inflate the number of students enrolled in their systems, the statement reads. You can email him at [emailprotected] or follow him on Twitter. ACADEMIC CHALLENGE TEAM. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Educations Office of Inspector General. The indictment also contains substantive wire fraud charges against Trey Holladay, Deborah Holladay, and Carter. Superintendent pleads guilty in fraud case. Former teacher Greg Corkren and former Marengo High football coach Webb Tutt will serve 22 and 24 months, respectively, in federal prison. Hollaway was ordered to pay $2.9 million. William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. The four co-defendants each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to . He is one of two former schools superintendents, including former Limestone county Superintendent Tom Sisk, accused of conspiracy to defraud the U.S Government. Former Limestone County Schools superintendent Tom Sisk was indicted on one charge of Conspiracy. Help us combat the proliferation of sexual exploitation crimes against children. Published on July 22, 2022 at 8:08 am CDT. Additionally, any defendant convicted of aggravated identity theft could receive a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence on each count. Ill write about them over and over again. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He is one of six state educators accused of enrolling those private school students into their virtual classes to get their tax dollars. This was accomplished by enrolling full time in-person students into their respective virtual schools. School officials have not discussed this matter at the request of federal officials, and will continue to refrain from discussing it. Co-defendants Gregory Earl Corkren, David Webb Tutt, and Thomas Michael Sisk, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government. Dr. Trey Holladay and Deborah Holladay released the following joint statement. Montgomery, Alabama On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, six individuals appeared in court after being indicted on charges related to the fraudulent enrollment of students in Alabama virtual schools, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kori Smith of the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Inspector General. with co-defendants former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and former Athens City School principal and administrator Rick Carter . And the investigation might not be over. Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay was placed on administrative leave after federal agents raided his home in June, 2020. Two other co-defendants Greg Corkren and David Tutt have admitted to operating similar businesses, with all involved raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars for locating virtual students that never actually enrolled in the Athens virtual school. Athens had experienced a similar uptick in revenue the last five years. The private schools used in the scheme are almost entirely white. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. A former Athens school superintendent has pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud the Alabama State Department of Education by falsely inflating the number of students enrolled in public virtual schools. We will continue to hold high standards at every level from local schools to the state with the expectation that every public school dollar will be spent to support our children., Public officials and employees are obligated to perform their duties and administer funds with integrity and according to requirements of the law, said Alabama Attorney General Marshall. Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and former Limestone County. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Copyright 2021 WAFF. The private school parents continued to pay tuition to the private schools. Holladay was one of three defendants sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson. None of the other individuals charged in the indictment remain affiliated with Athens City Schools in any manner. Carter faces up to 20 years in prison in addition to fines and restitution. The various defendants then received, for theirown personal use, portions of the state money. He is in his fourth year as superintendent of the Athens City Schools system in Athens, AL. Because the jury found the state proved certain aggravating circumstances, Dismukes could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. All three must report to the Bureau of Prisons by 2 p.m. on Sept. 1. Thompson noted that all of the private schools utilized in the scheme were located in the Black Belt region. TM & document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); The agreement states Holladay will face a minimum sentence of no fewer than 30 months in prison. We appreciate so much the overwhelming support from our friends and community. Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay was placed on administrative leave after federal agents raided his home in June, 2020. The two superintendents then received state money for the inflated enrollment numbers, which they then kept for personal use, through a complicated system of false report cards, false addresses and false completion reports, prosecutors said. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. In fact, as mentioned during the Justice Departments press conference, the indictment does not include any current Limestone County School employees. TEAM MASCOT. Former Limestone County Superintendent Tom Sisk was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Tuesday, fined $15,000 and ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. Published on May 25, 2021 at 2:25 pm CDT. Holladays tenure as superintendent will end on October 31. Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. is a thirty-one-year veteran public school educator with twenty-seven years in educational leadership. The charges against us are unfounded and will be vigorously defended. However, over the course of several years, the individuals named in the indictment betrayed the trust of not only our citizens but our students, parents, and other teachers and administrators who continue to work diligently every day. Co-defendants . Moving forward, we will be a transparent and accountable school system which provides the best educational experience we can for our students. There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. The Board has not been informed of a date certain for the conclusion of the investigation. According to a former lawmaker, the FBI and U.S. Department of Education were asking questions about other possible issues within Alabamas virtual schools as late as this fall. Trey and Deborah Holladay released the following statement following the indictments release: We are a family of teachers and coaches. The federal indictment claims that Holladay and his wife were the masterminds behind this plan. It is located 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and is the third-largest school district in Los Angeles County. He is also listed as a friend of Trey Holladay in the indictment. Former Athens City Schools superintendent William L. "Trey" Holladay III on Thursday received the maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.9 million in . Wednesday, March 15, 2023 Print Edition St. Patrick's Day in Athens A Tuscaloosa County man mentioned more than 150 times in a federal indictment involving four local former educators received more. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. The defendants skimmed the state money through direct cash payments and payments to third-party contractors owned by the various co-conspirators. Scroll to continue reading. David Rothwell Athletic Director at Iredell-Statesville Schools Statesville, NC. Corkren will pay $1.3 million. Sentencing is expected next year. Former Athens superintendent Trey Hollaway, who pleaded guilty to his role in concocting a scheme to defraud public schools across the state, will spend the next 60 months in federal prison. April 19, 2023. Rick Carter, a former principal in Athens, was found guilty by a federal court jury earlier this year for his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing. We will continue to cooperate with Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart and her team until the matter is completely adjudicated and settled.. Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. He left Limestone County Schools to become the director of Bristol, TN schools. Holladay was on leave from June 2020 until his last day with the district on Oct. 31, 2020. This page is not available in other languages. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The defendants named in the indictment are Dr. William L. ("Trey") Holladay, III, 56, a resident of Athens, Alabama and the former superintendent of the Athens City Schools district; Deborah Irby Holladay, 57, of Athens and formerly employed by the Athens City Schools district; William Richard ("Rick") Carter, Jr., 45, also of Athens, currently If convicted of the conspiracy charge, the DOJ says that , "Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five ears imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. To learn more about The Alabama Education Lab and receive notifications about stories and events, sign up for its newsletter, Ed Chat. Public Invited to 'Spring Into Wellness' Community Health Festival. Court records show on Tuesday Holladay. While the school system was mentioned in the indictment brought in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the indictment does not name the Limestone County Board of Education or anyone currently involved with Limestone County Schools as defendants. The charges against us are unfounded and will be vigorously defended. The following statement was read by Superintendent Beth Patton: The Athens City Schools community is shocked and very concerned to read Tuesdays release from the U.S. Attorneys office. The U.S. Attorneys Office made a motion to dismiss all pending charges against his wife on December 16 as well. Additionally, Athens City Schools filed a motion for a protective order of education records in November. The former superintendent of the Athens City Schools System on Thursday pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud the state by inflating the number of students enrolled in a virtual school. In the initial indictment, prosecutors said that the two school districts were improperly paid $7 million in the scheme, which Holladay, Sisk and four alleged codefendants diverted. enewscourier.com . PRIVACY POLICY | conspired to tell the state false numbers of students in their school systems, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Holladays next court date was scheduled for February 2022. They stole from the children of Alabama, he said. Trey Holladay. The defendants in this case prioritized their own profits over the education needs of our students. In total, the Alabama Department of Education believes the six people robbed public schools of more than $5 million using a variety of methods to falsify virtual schools rolls and illegally gain more per-pupil funding. According to his. As Attorney General, I am committed to stand together with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that allegations of wrongdoing are investigated,and that appropriate action is taken.". According to the plea agreement, additional charges of wire fraud and identity theft against Holladay were dropped. 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. And Thompson said testimony revealed that 98 percent of the students used in the scheme were white. According to a plea agreement finalized Thursday, Trey Holladay admitted that he, along with Thomas Michael Sisk, former superintendent of the Limestone County Schools system, conspired to. Moving forward, we will be a transparent and accountable school system which provides the best educational experience we can for our students.. All rights reserved (About Us). All three men will also face three years of supervised release at the end of those sentences and will pay hefty fines. Tutt is listed as a longtime friend of Trey Holladay in the indictment. Former Athens City School superintendent pleads guilty to defrauding state, Will Dismukes found guilty of first-degree theft of property, Alabama Supreme Court upholds removal of Talladega probate judge. www.acs-k12.org/board. Two more of his co-conspirators will join him for at least a portion of that time. SUPERINTENDENT. Scoops about Oxford City Schools . Athens school administrator William Richard Rick Carter Jr. was found guilty of conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in March. Officials say this settlement payment resolves and eliminates any further compensation as well as other expenses which may have otherwise been obliged to pay related to the matter.
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