Arkansas Blog

Didn't the principal/football coach notice that the $8/hr secretary drove a nicer car than his?

Didn't he notice the expensive hairweaves and cultured nails? I know every other woman in the building noticed that the secretary, who probably had a couple kids and probably no husband but many unemployed boyfriends wore nicer outfits. Ask around, the ladies will all say they have gossipped about it for years.

There is virually no way to spend that amount of jack in a backwater town like Pine Bluff without turning heads.

My limited accounting background lets me know there are numerous protocols to guard against this massive longterm scam. Some investigation needs to occur focusing on how a non-sophisticated underling can pull off a million dollar scam.

The school board never noticed that this school was outspending all the other schools in maintanence but was not in any better condition?

CH is on the right trail. Every school, every school district should be using a prescription accounting method. All of the schools and districts should be using the same secure software. And this should have happened 15 years ago. I bet if they look thoroughly enough they will find her accomplish in crime.

Norma, here''s one of your "dumb criminals." This perp should have packed it up 2 years ago and found another town and another identity.

"This action went totally against the character traits I have tried to teach and model during my 9 years here," [Superintendent] Anthony said.

Yeah, teach a thirty-something about good character traits and let her have the keys to the vault unmonitored.
Not.
If ya wanna try to teach your people to be honest thirty years late, go ahead. But be sure someone is looking over her shoulder. Trust her implicitly -- and watch her every move.
And those other folks who probably had some suspicions about what was going on? I can just about guarantee someone warned them to keep their mouths shut and mind their own business. Voice such suspicions, even in "trusted" company, and you might find yourself in hot water.

A reader who can't log in asks me to post this comment, after reading this item and a subsequent item about the white-collar criminal who engaged in fraud with company money:

Just wondering why a link was posted about the thieving school district secretary but not the white collar corporate dude? Don't misunderstand, stealing from a school is lower than low, but I just wondered why folks are free to wonder about how she spent money on manicures and Tunica but no one wondered about the dude and the insurance fraud. Maybe it's because she has so many more counts? Just curious. The blog won't let me re-register so I'm asking via email instead. If you quote my question, please just call me a curious reader. Thanks.

How can a school district not miss $900,000? Sheese. Doesn't Pine Bluff have a past history of this kinda thing at UAPB and others or am I mistaken?

Hey, blog, I'm back after being out of town. Greetings!

Can the school board be held responsible? How the hell could they have been deaf, blind and stupid for seven years?

School board members probably don't get detailed payout and similar financial records, Kizzy. But there is someone -- should probably be more than one given the size of the district -- who had the responsibility to oversee purchase orders, work orders and other data to back up claims for payment.
Cato, I don't recall an incident involving UAPB, but then my memory can be hazy. There were two incidents with either county or circuit clerks -- I believe circuit -- in the past five years or so, as well as several embezzellment allegations against folks in other public or semi-public positions -- at least two or three clerks employed by towns and communities in their water departments if memory serves. And there's our former county judge and another well-placed fellow awaiting trial for taking certain liberties with county booty.
Sigh. Probably more I can't remember.
Yep, enough that the county smells real good, and it isn't that "smell of money" everybody comments on when the wind is from the right direction.

"I know every other woman in the building noticed that the secretary, who probably had a couple kids and probably no husband but many unemployed boyfriends wore nicer outfits."

Take this racist shit off the blog, Max!

For the most part, I'm going to let CitizenHome fight his own fights, Professor, but I will note that I can specifically point to one malefactor I know who closely fits that description and is white -- unemployed boyfriend and all. At the risk of sounding sexist -- let's throw another -ist into the story -- it's hard to support a kid on your own. Throw a goodly amount of money crossing your desk every day, a hankerin' for new cars and other pretties, and a fun lovin' guy into the mix and . . . well, you get the idea.
The lack of commentary on the Frank Whitbeck story versus this? The Whitbeck story is old news to most of us, hardly of front page caliber. Be sure to note the amount of coverage and interest months/years hence if this young lady accepts a plea bargain. Except in the hometown newspaper, I suspect you'll have to hunt for the item. You might even have to hunt for it there if the sheriff's office buddy-buddies with the local newspaper types and damps down coverage -- something I don't think will happen now.

I saw the Superintendent on the tube last night. He said he was responsible because the buck stops at his desk. Looks like there were a number of bucks that didn't stop at his desk but kept on going right out the door.

Honored as the most outstanding school superintendant in Arkansas last year, Frank Anthony is now asked to explain how one of his subordinates could have stolen nearly a million dollars " right under his nose ". It is rumored he has scheduled an appointment with an "eye, ear, nose
and throat" specialist. Roy
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Lax supervision faulted in PB schools theft

PINE BLUFF - A state auditor said Wednesday that the Pine Bluff School District failed to enforce safeguards that could have prevented one of its secretaries from embezzling what police say is more than $884,000 over seven years.