New Orleans former school employees Convicted in Scam

It never ceases to amaze me when I read the newspaper these days. There is always a news story about someone committing bribes, fraud, theft and scams. People should realize that there is no such thing as a free ride. There seems to be no concern for others. Scamming the school system hurt the children as well as the state.

After five hours of deliberations, a federal jury Thursday convicted three former Orleans Parish school employees of doctoring payroll records in order to scam extra cash.

Debra Harrison and Drena Clay were convicted of violating the Hobbs Act by falsifying payroll records in order to beef up their paychecks, while Walter Tardy was convicted of lying to the FBI during a sweeping investigation of corruption in the public school system, pre-Katrina.

U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood Duval will sentence them in February. Violation of the Hobbs Act alone carries up to 20 years.

Harrison was the assistant secretary at Fannie C. Williams Middle School, while Clay taught special education there.

The same jury acquitted teacher's aide Lillie Carmouche, and special education teachers Willie Morris and Noble Garner of all charges in connection with the payroll scheme.

The players all worked at Fannie C. Williams Middle School in eastern New Orleans during December 2002 and January 2003, during which a group of teachers, secretaries and aides padded paychecks by making it appear that they covered for absentee teachers during the seven-period day.

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said originally that some $35,000 was siphoned away from the failing school system dependant on millions of dollars in federal funds to stay afloat before Hurricane Katrina delivered the final blow.

During the seven-day trial, prosecutors Carter Guice, Richard Rose and Dan Friel presented jurors with original payroll documents that still bore the white-out that the school employees used to blot out their correct number of hours worked. Also, teacher Trynitha Fulton and aide John Baker, Jr., pleaded guilty before the trial and agreed to testify against their former colleagues at Fannie C. Williams.

Since launching an investigation into the public schools in 2004, Letten's team has obtained 26 convictions out of 29 invidividual indictments.

Thursday's verdict doesn't end the federal probe into public school corruption, Letten said Thursday.

"Our investigation of individuals within the school system is still alive," Letten said.