The Athens City Board of Education voted 5-2 Wednesday to hire William "Trey" Holladay as superintendent contingent on contract approval. 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. Reporter Josh Moon contributed to this report. Corkren will pay $1.3 million. Details on the plea agreement were released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montgomery on Thursday. In November 2008, 75% of voters approved Measure PS, a $235 million school bond measure, to provide for the renovation of schools. The federal investigation has been ongoing since that time. He still faces 88 counts of wire fraud and 34 counts of aggravated identity theft. Dr. Beth Taylor. 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. Peeples most recently served as an inspector in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington. Moving forward, we will be a transparent and accountable school system which provides the best educational experience we can for our students. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Crusader. | April 27, 2023. Alabama Board of Education Vice President Wayne Reynolds told AL.com that the sentences were justified. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. Trey Holladay. Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay was placed on administrative leave after federal agents raided his home in June, 2020. ACS 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. FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector Generals Southeastern Regional Office. He faces up to 20 years in prison. The charges against us are unfounded and will be vigorously defended. The public schools in those counties are made up almost entirely of Black students. 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Educations Office of Inspector General. There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. ACS 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.". The scheme saw educators steal the identities of students in private schools and then use them to bilk public schools out of millions. In 1995 the school district bought the former Indian Hill Mall, a failing shopping center built in the 1960s, and . Former teacher Greg Corkren and former Marengo High football coach Webb Tutt will serve 22 and 24 months, respectively, in federal prison. After a full review of the situation and the uncertainties of the circumstances, the board of education believes it is both timely and appropriate to make a change in leadership as it is in the best interest of Athens City Schools. Terms of Use The U.S. Attorney's Office in Montgomery has named two former school superintendents in an indictment. A sentencing date has not been set for Holladay. conspired to tell the state false numbers of students in their school systems, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Defense attorneys filed a motion with the court to delay the trial from its original September start in order to give them more time to . Upon reviewing the allegations against Dr. Rick Carter, Athens City Schools has placed him on administrative leave until further notice. 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. (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. 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.. 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. A fourth defendant, former Limestone County superintendent Tom Sisk, was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in federal prison. Dr. Trey Holladay and Deborah Holladay released the following joint statement. According to his. 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. In fact, as mentioned during the Justice Departments press conference, the indictment does not include any current Limestone County School employees. Thursday night the Athens City School Board announced they are going forward in making changes in the districts leadership. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. W.L. 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. The agreement states Holladay will face a minimum sentence of no fewer than 30 months in prison. The defendants in this case prioritized their own profits over the education needs of our students. All six of the defendants are charged with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. Former Athens City School teacher Deborah Irby Holladay was indicted on one charge of Conspiracy and numerous charges of Wire Fraud. Additionally, any defendant convicted of aggravated identity theft could receive a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence on each count. Tutt is listed as a longtime friend of Trey Holladay in the indictment. According to the indictment, the defendants obtained student identities to use in their scheme from various private schools located across the stateparticularly private schools in the Black Belt region of Alabama. Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. The investigation remains ongoing and confidential at the request of federal officials. As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorneys Office will move to dismiss other charges against Holladay. ACADEMIC CHALLENGE TEAM. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross, Alice S. LaCour, and Brett J. Talley are prosecuting the case. The elections are held on a first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years effective with the 2018 election. Athens, Alabama. Sentencing is expected next year. This page is not available in other languages. Federal officials said the two former superintendents and four other people fraudulently claimed private school students who attended schools in the Black Belt Region, were enrolled full time in Athens City and Limestone County School Districts. . According to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office on December 16, Holladay admitted that he and co-defendant Thomas Michael Sisk conspired to inflate the number of students enrolled at Athens City Schools and Limestone County Schools. Published on December 17, 2021 at 7:52 am CST. Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. Holladay now faces a maximum five-year prison sentence and has agreed to potential monetary penalties imposed by a judge, according to court records. You can email him at [emailprotected] or follow him on Twitter. Over the past months, Athens City Schools has fully cooperated with the Department of Justice as its investigation proceeded. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. A few years ago, some of the same people excusing Trump's recent indictment were celebrating Gov. The indictment further alleges that the defendants went to various lengths to conceal the fraud from the state. Courtesy photos This funding was used in part to fund. Thomas Sisk was the superintendent of the Limestone County, Alabama School District during the times investigated. 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 . Former Athens City Schools superintendent Trey Holladay has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a multiyear scheme to defraud the state. There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. And the investigation might not be over. Five others were named in Tuesdays indictment. 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. According to the indictment, "The purpose of the conspiracy for ACS [Athens City Schools], LCS [Limestone County Schools], and CCS [Conecuh County Schools] to obtain greater statefunding allocations through the Foundation Program than they would otherwise have been entitled to by purporting to enroll into their respective virtual schools students who were in fact full-time students of brick-and-mortar private schools and who were not taking even close to what could be considered full course loads through a virtual education program. 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. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay will be sentenced July 21, along with Gregory Earl Corkren and David Webb Tutt. 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. Ill write about them over and over again. David Tutt was a resident of Marengo County. The mastermind of Alabamas virtual school enrollment scam was sentenced Thursday to a half-decade in federal prison. Two more of his co-conspirators will join him for at least a portion of that time. Codefendants Gregory Earl Corkren, David Webb Tutt and Sisk previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government. During the school years that the scheme allegedly occurredthe 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school yearsthe private school students and parents had little to no connection with the public school districts in which they were supposedly enrolled. Corkren also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. NINETY-SIX HIGH SCHOOL. 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. Retired Superintendent Of Ed., Athens City Schools Experience at: Athens City Schools, School Superintendents of Alabama, Personalized Learning - Athens Renaissance Landon Powell, Matt Williams, Hunter Dilworth, Ryan Brown, Trey Dyson and JK Love. The Board of Education will have a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at 7:30 a.m. in the central office board room. RELATED: Limestone County Schools Superintendent Tom Sisk heading to Bristol, TN Board of Education. with co-defendants former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and former Athens City School principal and administrator Rick Carter . Holladay faces up to five years in prison and large fines after pleading guilty. None of the other individuals charged in the indictment remain affiliated with Athens City Schools in any manner. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. His previous experience includes system-wide administrator, high school principal, elementary principal, assistant principal, athletic director, classroom teacher, and head football coach within the state of Alabama. Holladay and his co-defendants offered laptop computers, access to online curriculum, standardized testing and money to entice private schools, mostly located in Alabamas Black Belt, and gain access to those schools students private information, which they used to steal from the state, the press release states. Here, both the Limestone County School District and the Athens City School District received more than their fair share of funding at the expense of even the most cash-strapped school district, Thompson wrote. All rights reserved. April 20, 2023. Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. The jury found Lorenzo Mills guilty of assaulting three incarcerated people with a riot baton and falsifying a report. In the four months that the investigation has been underway, officials within the school system say they have fully cooperated with a federal investigation, and, per the superintendents contract, has continued to pay Holladays salary and related benefits. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He left that post in February of 2020. City of Pasadena Releases Independent Review of Officer-Involved Shooting of Anthony McClain. In doing so, they stole children and parents identities and bribed administrators of private schools. The FBI started investigating Holladays home in June 2020. Holladay was one of three defendants sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson. 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. Advertisement. The private schools used in the scheme are almost entirely white. . The various defendants then received, for their own personal use, portions of the state money. The school systems agreed to pay the consulting companies a percentage of the per-pupil funds. 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 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. She says following the statement, the board unanimously voted to keep Rick Carter on administrative leave. Corkren also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. The indictment also contains substantive wire fraud charges against Trey Holladay, Deborah Holladay, and Carter. Date: 8/14/2023. Gregory Corkren was a resident of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and was a retired public educator. Trey Holladay, the mastermind of the virtual school scam, was hit with a lengthy prison sentence and hefty fine. Rick Carter is an employee of the Athens City School District with some past duties including technology teacher and virtual programs coordinator. Holladay is accused of purposely scheming private school students and their parents out of millions of dollars for his personal gain. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). The federal indictment claims that Holladay and his wife were the masterminds behind this plan. 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). Six people, including two former superintendents, are named in the indictment. His previous experience includes system-wide administrator, high school principal, elementary principal, assistant principal, athletic director, classroom teacher, and head . All three men will also face three years of supervised release at the end of those sentences and will pay hefty fines. District, teachers, at odds. The DOJ reminds the public that an indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The six-day protest was their first in decades and led to a 6% raise for teachers, added nurses and school . The defendants skimmed the state money through direct cash payments and payments to third-party contractors owned by the various co-conspirators. William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. ", 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., 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. City of Pasadena Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month. The three pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme. TM & document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); . Limestone County Schools released a response to the indictment: On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Limestone County Schools learned it was mentioned in an indictment for involvement with a virtual school program during the 2016-2017 school year. 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. ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - Former Athens superintendent, William Lee Trey Holladay has entered a guilty plea for a conspiracy charge. Zwingli and the other reformers showed that engaging in debate about faith was intellectually progressive. Hollaway was ordered to pay $2.9 million. www.acs-k12.org/board. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
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