In May a Detroit teacher who was placed on administrative leave and then subsequently fired for manipulating funds that were raised for the students has been arrested on embezzlement charges.
Aside from instructing Spanish classes at Dakota High School, Lydia Johnson, 29, served as the school's student activity coordinator. As such, she planned trips, events, and fundraisers to help make it all happen. Unfortunately, the school's administration was unaware of her gambling habit when she was assigned the title, and so they were shocked to learn that she helped pay the $90,000 that prosecutors say she spent at MGM Grand Detroit Casino in 2016 by skimming cash off of the contributions she managed.
In one instance, investigators found that Johnson dipped into the $13,000 generated from one trip, and reaped $500 from doing so. And in a more elaborate scheme, Johnson was found to have only deposited $11,000 of the $30,000 made off of homecoming ticket sales. The rest went into her own personal account. It is estimated that Johnson stole up to $31,500 total during her time as activity coordinator.
Johnson could serve up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Her bond has been set at $10,000 and her next court appearance is scheduled for October 5.
Source: nydailynews.com
