Thomas Sisk was the superintendent of the Limestone County, Alabama School District during the times investigated. The mastermind of Alabamas virtual school enrollment scam was sentenced Thursday to a half-decade in federal prison. Corkren and Tutt each faced a sentence of up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Terms of Use Published on December 17, 2021 at 7:52 am CST. 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. The federal indictment claims that Holladay and his wife were the masterminds behind this plan. Corkren also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Fortunately, the U.S. Attorney, FBI, and OIG have committed investigators who, like us, are determined to make sure every taxpayer dollar is accounted for and every dollar intended for the classroom is spent on the classroom, he said. Scroll to continue reading. The students continued to attend the brick-and-mortar private schools each day, they received instruction from employees of the private schools, and, after class, some played sports for their private schools. Assistant Superintendent at Iredell-Statesville Schools Statesville, NC. 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. You can email him at [emailprotected] or follow him on Twitter. Carter will be sentenced in August. A federal grand jury indicted William Lee "Trey" Holladay III, 56, of Athens, the former Athens City superintendent, and former Limestone County Schools superintendent Thomas Michael Sisk, 55, of . Former Athens City Schools superintendent pleads guilty to - WAFF Tutt will pay $259,000. David Tutt was a resident of Marengo County. Superintendent pleads guilty in fraud case. BREAKING: Holladay, Sisk among 6 named in indictment Holladay now faces a maximum five-year prison sentence and has agreed to potential monetary penalties imposed by a judge, according to court records. 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. STEALING FROM THE STATE: Retired educator received $1.7M from ACS A federal judge granted the motion on Dec. 7. 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. WAFF 48 reached out to Athens City Schools for a comment regarding this case. Co-defendants . A spokesperson for the FBI confirms that "law enforcement action" was taken at the home of Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay on Tuesday morning. In November 2008, 75% of voters approved Measure PS, a $235 million school bond measure, to provide for the renovation of schools. Moving forward, we will be a transparent and accountable school system which provides the best educational experience we can for our students.. Trey Holladay. In fact, as mentioned during the Justice Departments press conference, the indictment does not include any current Limestone County School employees. Limestone Co Indictment by WAFF 48 on Scribd. Codefendants Gregory Earl Corkren, David Webb Tutt and Sisk previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government. APRs Josh Moon first reported about the FBIs investigation into Holladay in August when he reported that in less than three years, Limestones general fund budget swelled from a reserve balance of around $2 million to now more than $20 million. Scholastic Inc. See WAFFs story below from October 2020 when the Athens City Board of Education removed Holladay from his role as Superintendent. All rights reserved. In fact, as mentioned during the Justice Departments press conference, the indictment does not include any current Limestone County School employees. Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. We are an equal opportunity employer and educator who fully and actively supports equal access for all people regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Corkren will pay $1.3 million. A sentencing date has not been set for Holladay. LA Unified strike nears; teachers plan to join other workers in protest 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. . Former Athens, Limestone superintendents indicted for virtual-education In doing so, they stole children and parents identities and bribed administrators of private schools. The agreement states Holladay will face a minimum sentence of no fewer than 30 months in prison. Holladay faces up to five years in prison and large fines after pleading guilty. William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. Others indicted include William Richard Carter, Jr. (Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft), Gregory Earl Corkren (Conspiracy, Aggravated Identity Theft), and David Webb Tutt (Conspiracy). According to the plea agreement, additional charges of wire fraud and identity theft against Holladay were dropped. 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. TEAM MASCOT. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. The state department told federal officials it had recouped funding from Limestone and Conecuh counties, but did not state the amounts. 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.". He faces a maximum prison sentence of five years along with substantial monetary penalties. Co-defendants Corkren, Tutt, and Sisk previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government. SUPERINTENDENT. Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. Sentencing is expected next year. Moving forward, we will be a transparent and accountable school system which provides the best educational experience we can for our students. Athens, Alabama. 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. Dr. Holladay has almost two years remaining on his superintendent contract. As a result, the private schools obtained funds that they were not lawfully entitled to receive.. 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. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. The indictment also contains substantive wire fraud charges against Trey Holladay, Deborah Holladay, and Carter. Advertisement. The indictment states the purpose of the conspiracy was to obtain greater state funding allocations through the Foundation Program than they would otherwise have been entitled to Athens City Schools would then use, directly and indirectly, portions of the excess money to fund the completion of capital projects, including, the new campus of Athens High School. of Justice explained in a statement: 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. Carter faces up to 20 years in prison in addition to fines and restitution. Holladay was on leave from June 2020 until his last day with the district on Oct. 31, 2020. Terry Holliday - Superintendent - Iredell Statesville Schools - LinkedIn Each will have three years of supervised release after serving prison time. 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. 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. Co-defendants Gregory Earl Corkren, David Webb Tutt, and Thomas Michael Sisk, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government. The U.S. Attorneys Office made a motion to dismiss all pending charges against his wife on December 16 as well. According to court records and information contained in Holladays plea agreement, Holladay and Sisk did so when they submitted to the ALSDE lists of enrolled students who were, in reality, full-time students at private schools located in other parts of the state.. Five others were named in Tuesdays indictment. NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 Astronauts Visits Marshall Space Flight Center, Mental Health Awareness Month: Erasing the stigma of mental illness, Athens City Schools approves separation agreement with former superintendent, $250,000 payment, Limestone County Schools Superintendent Tom Sisk heading to Bristol, TN Board of Education. W.L. Because the jury found the state proved certain aggravating circumstances, Dismukes could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. www.acs-k12.org/board. Athens City School Administrator Found Guilty in Virtual Education I hope that this indictment serves as a warning for others who might try to line their pockets with public funds., Public corruption remains the FBIs top criminal priority because public officials must be trusted to do their jobs with honesty and integrity, stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. The citizens of Alabama should rest assured that the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate corruption at every level and hold accountable those officials who violate the publics trust and use their position for profit or gain., These so-called educators have been charged for preying on the schools that placed them in positions of trust to educate students and the students they promised to serve. The three pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme. 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. 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.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. School officials have not discussed this matter at the request of federal officials, and will continue to refrain from discussing it. According to court documents, education records will not be disclosed to the public, however, they will only be shared with those involved in this case. Former Athens City Schools superintendent pleads guilty to conspiracy charge, 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, READ MORE: Former Limestone Co. The money Alabama sets aside for public education should be used for exactly thateducating the students of our public schools, stated United States Attorney Franklin. 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. Rick Carter is an employee of the Athens City School District with some past duties including technology teacher and virtual programs coordinator. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Former Athens City Schools Superintendent William "Trey" Holladay was indicted on one charge of Conspiracy and dozens of charges of Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. Now a resident of Montgomery, Holladay pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Alabama State Department of Education. Jordan Holladay Tristan Hudson Noah Ingle Andrew Kaminsky Stephen Kight Riley McDonald Jake Monroe . During his professional career, Tutt held various positions, including football coach at Marengo Academy in Linden. W.L. 'Trey' Holladay | EDU - Scholastic Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay was placed on administrative leave after federal agents raided his home in June, 2020. Published on May 25, 2021 at 2:25 pm CDT. Trey Holladay - Principal - Oxford City Schools | ZoomInfo 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The public schools in those counties are made up almost entirely of Black students. Ivey announces new record low unemployment rate for Alabama, Small business optimism declines in March, 2022 economic development projects brought record capital investment, Online job ads in February down 12.4 percent from last year, Britt: Kids Social Media Act critical for protecting children, Sewell calls on Congress to reject Republican debt ceiling demands, Britt part of bipartisan effort to regulate kids use of social media, US Sen. Katie Britt: Alabama powering new era of space exploration, In a matter of minutes, the TV news world was upended, Community colleges offer no-cost fiber optic technician training, Ivey forces resignation of Education secretary over woke Pre-K book, Divisive Concepts bill headed back to the House for the second year, While community colleges nationally saw enrollment decline, Alabama bucks the trend, School choice in one of the most segregated, unequal systems in the country, Advocacy groups to rally for Medicaid expansion, New Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences to be established in Demopolis by 2026, Medical associations launch campaign to warn Alabamians of fentanyl dangers, Mental health system faces crises of workforce shortage, uncompensated care, Opinion | Alabama has made progress in rural broadband expansion, but work remains, Opinion | Alabama has a host of outstanding political leaders under 45, Opinion | The firing of Alabamas pre-k secretary isnt fighting anything.

Where Does Popeyes Get Their Chicken, What To Wear Under Scrubs Guys, Articles T