Dr. Trey Holladay and Deborah Holladay released the following joint statement. Peeples most recently served as an inspector in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington. 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. WAFFs Madison Scarpino was at the meeting. 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.He is in his fourth year as superintendent of the Athens City Schools system in Athens, AL. April 27, 2023. The defendants skimmed the state money through direct cash payments and payments to third-party contractors owned by the various co-conspirators. 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. The scheme saw educators steal the identities of students in private schools and then use them to bilk public schools out of millions. NINETY-SIX HIGH SCHOOL. 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. Zwingli and the other reformers showed that engaging in debate about faith was intellectually progressive. Additionally, Trey Holladay, Carter, and Corkren are charged with aggravated identity theft. 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. Now a resident of Montgomery, Holladay pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Alabama State Department of Education. 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. 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. 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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. Any defendant convicted of wire or mail fraud faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. These sentences may seem severe, but they are in accordance with the severity of the criminal acts these individuals committed.. In November 2008, 75% of voters approved Measure PS, a $235 million school bond measure, to provide for the renovation of schools. 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. . All rights reserved (About Us). Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. Trey Holladay. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. 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. Carter's co-conspirators include former superintendent of the Athens City Schools district Dr. William L. ("Trey") Holladay, III; David Webb Tutt, of Uniontown, Alabama; Gregory ("Greg") Earl Corkren, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and former superintendent of the Limestone County School district Thomas Michael Sisk. Superintendent Trey Holladay is shown in a photo on the Athens City Schools website. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. Alabama department of education wanted defendants to repay $5.7 million, found guilty of conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in March, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Because the jury found the state proved certain aggravating circumstances, Dismukes could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. 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. He still faces 88 counts of wire fraud and 34 counts of aggravated identity theft. During his professional career, Tutt held various positions, including football coach at Marengo Academy in Linden. 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.". Athens, Alabama. The federal indictment claims that Holladay and his wife were the masterminds behind this plan. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. In his sentencing order on Thursday, federal judge Myron Thompson noted that the now-felons preyed upon some of the poorest school districts in Alabama, diverting hundreds of thousands of public school dollars from Alabama public schools and sending them instead to mostly white private schools that were operating in predominantly Black counties. The defendants skimmed the state money through direct cash payments and payments to third-party contractors owned by the various co-conspirators. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. 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. 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. Co-defendants . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. 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. 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. Current Limestone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Randy Shearouse released this statement: 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. 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 tell the state false numbers of students in their school systems so that they could pocket additional state money. 20Former Limestone County Superintendent Tom Sisk was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on April 8, 2021 to conspiring to defraud the United States government. WAFF 48 reached out to Athens City Schools for a comment regarding this case. Corkren will pay $1.3 million. Ill write about them over and over again. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Athens had experienced a similar uptick in revenue the last five years. The charges against us are unfounded and will be vigorously defended. We appreciate so much the overwhelming support from our friends and community. Published on December 17, 2021 at 7:52 am CST. Former teacher Greg Corkren and former Marengo High football coach Webb Tutt will serve 22 and 24 months, respectively, in federal prison. There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. 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. In 1995 the school district bought the former Indian Hill Mall, a failing shopping center built in the 1960s, and . Because of state laws, Athens Schools officials have been unable to terminate Rick Carter, who was convicted in March of seven felonies. Former Athens City Schools (ACS) Superintendent Trey Holladay and former Limestone County Superintendent Tom Sisk were both indicted, along with Deborah Irby Holladay, Trey Holladay's. He left that post in February of 2020. April 20, 2023. When I was hired as your State Superintendent, I committed to improving education in our state which includes working closely with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability, so every crucial dollar is spent on educating our students, said Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme. 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. PRIVACY POLICY | 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). Robert Bentley's resignation for similar crimes. Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. RELATED: Athens City Schools approves separation agreement with former superintendent, $250,000 payment. The system refers further inquiries about the matter to Dr. Holladay's legal counsel and the federal officials involved." . Holladays next court date was scheduled for February 2022. The Plaintiffs, in this case, are students who prosecutors say had their identities stolen. Assistant Superintendent at Iredell-Statesville Schools Statesville, NC. Court records show on Tuesday Holladay changed his plea of not guilty to guilty for one count of conspiracy. The school systems agreed to pay the consulting companies a percentage of the per-pupil funds. This was accomplished by enrolling full time in-person students into their respective virtual schools. A sentencing date has not been set for Holladay. 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. Former Limestone County Schools superintendent Tom Sisk was indicted on one charge of Conspiracy. 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. Holladay left the school district months after the FBI started investigating him in 2020. SUPERINTENDENT. www.acs-k12.org/board. Six of the defendants in the lawsuit former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay, his wife Deborah Holladay, ACS Director of Planning Rick Carter, former Limestone County Schools . 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. Retired Superintendent Of Ed., Athens City Schools Experience at: Athens City Schools, School Superintendents of Alabama, Personalized Learning - Athens Renaissance The six-day protest was their first in decades and led to a 6% raise for teachers, added nurses and school . We are a family of teachers and coaches. ", 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. 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.. Details on the plea agreement were released by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Montgomery on Thursday. There are issues that most of Alabama knows we need to address. Holladay faces up to five years in prison and large fines after pleading guilty. The FBI started investigating Holladays home in June 2020. 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 left Limestone County Schools to become the director of Bristol, TN schools. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to the plea agreement, additional charges of wire fraud and identity theft against Holladay were dropped. The defendants named in the indictment are: (1) Dr. William L. ("Trey") Holladay, III, 56, a resident of Athens, Alabama and the former superintendent of the Athens City Schools district; (2) Deborah Irby Holladay, 57, of Athens and formerly employed by the Athens City Schools district; (3) William Richard ("Rick") Carter, Jr., 45, also of Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Moving forward, we will be a transparent and accountable school system which provides the best educational experience we can for our students.. William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. 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. 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 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. 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School officials have not discussed this matter at the request of federal officials, and will continue to refrain from discussing it. Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay was placed on administrative leave after federal agents raided his home in June, 2020. Former Limestone County Schools Superintendent Tom Sisk, left, and former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay, right. Former Athens Superintendent William L. "Trey" Holladay III, retired teacher Gregory "Greg" Earl Corkren and former Marengo Academy football coach David "Webb" Tutt are scheduled for. ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - UPDATE: See details from Thursdays special meeting of the Athens City Board of Education below the details of each individuals charges. Thursday night the Athens City School Board announced they are going forward in making changes in the districts leadership. Trey Holladay. Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr., who headed up the Athens online school, is set for trial on February 7, 2022. All rights reserved. Corkren also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Deborah Holladay is the wife of Trey Holladay and was a teacher employed by the Athens City School District at the times investigated. 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. 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. 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. The mastermind of Alabamas virtual school enrollment scam was sentenced Thursday to a half-decade in federal prison. Details on the plea agreement were released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montgomery on Thursday. All the while, the state reimbursed the Athens City Schools district and the Limestone County Schools district for the cost of supposedly educating these private school students. All rights reserved. Another round of projects was set for summer 2010, at 21 schools. 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. Court records show on Tuesday Holladay. Superintendent pleads guilty in fraud case. The Los Angeles teachers union's last strike was in 2019. William Lee Trey Holladay, III formally separated from Athens City Schools in October 2020. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. . There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. Thompson noted that all of the private schools utilized in the scheme were located in the Black Belt region. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. We will continue to cooperate with Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart and her team until the matter is completely adjudicated and settled.. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. Advertisement. 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. 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). Sentencing is expected next year. Carters motion for a new trial was rejected by Judge Thompson. Five others were named in Tuesdays indictment. Two more of his co-conspirators will join him for at least a portion of that time. Subscribe to EDU for a bi-weekly digest of articles.Privacy Policy, Scholastics blog abouteducation and learning. Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. Reporter Josh Moon contributed to this report. In connection with the agreements to acquire student information from the private schools, the co-conspirators paid over $600,000 of the money the Athens district received to the participating private schools and their employees and administrators. Trey Holladay is a Principal at Oxford City Schools based in Oxford, Alabama. Courtesy photos This funding was used in part to fund. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Co-defendants Corkren, Tutt, and Sisk previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government. ACADEMIC CHALLENGE TEAM. Pasadena's Minimum Wage Rate Increases to $16.93 on July 1. 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. Landon Powell, Matt Williams, Hunter Dilworth, Ryan Brown, Trey Dyson and JK Love. Limestone Co Indictment by WAFF 48 on Scribd. And the investigation might not be over. | Holladay , . W.L. Copyright 2020 WAFF. Six people, including two former superintendents, are named in the indictment. Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. 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. All three men will also face three years of supervised release at the end of those sentences and will pay hefty fines. Thomas Sisk was the superintendent of the Limestone County, Alabama School District during the times investigated. Page 2. 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. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Former Athens Superintendent William Lee "Trey" Holladay is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty for conspiracy in December. The Board says they will begin the process and timeline for posting and selecting a new superintendent within the next few weeks. Holladay now faces a maximum five-year prison sentence and has agreed to potential monetary penalties imposed by a judge, according to court records. Board of Education members are elected to a four-year term. According to his. Trey Holladay, 57, faces up to five years in prison and substantial monetary penalties according to a statement by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Alabama. Upon reviewing the allegations against Dr. Rick Carter, Athens City Schools has placed him on administrative leave until further notice. The students whose identities were used in the scheme had little to no connection to the public school districts, federal officials confirmed. It goes on to allege, "It was a purpose of the conspiracy for Trey Holladay, Deborah Holladay, Carter, Corkren, Tutt, and Sisk to obtain, directly and indirectly, for their own personal use, portions of the increased revenue generated for ACS, LCS, and CCS by the fraudulent enrollment of private school students in the ACS, LCS, and CCS virtual schools.". 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. You can email him at [emailprotected] or reach him via Twitter. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. 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.
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