Feds Indict Former Buena Park School Officials In Kick-Back Scam

Chicago IL

16 February, 2022

6:14 PM

Description

CHICAGO — The feds charged two more people in an alleged kick-back scandal involving overtime and procurement fraud at a Buena Park elementary school. Former Brenneman School principal Sarah Jackson Abedelal was arrested in connection with the scheme in July, when prosecutors initially charged her with embezzling more than $200,000. On Wednesday, former Brenneman Elementary School assistant principal Jennifer McBride, who also goes by "Jennifer Ellen," and the school's former business manager William Jackson were charged with felony fraud charges in an 11-count superseding indictment unsealed Wednesday. The superseding indictment charged Abedelal, 58, of Chicago, with one count of wire fraud. McBride, a 40-year-old Northbrook resident who is listed as an assistant principal in Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, was charged with four counts of wire fraud. Jackson, 37, of Chicago, faces a mail fraud charge and five counts of wire fraud, according to court papers. Each felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As of Wednesday, an arraignment date hasn't been set. Abedelal, Jackson and an unnamed sales representative for a company providing office supplies to Chicago Public Schools allegedly conspired to submit more than $45,000 in bogus purchase orders for more than $45,000 that were meant to conceal the receipt of iPhones, iPads and about $30,000 in gift cards for Abedelal's personal use, according to the indictment. Abedelal, McBride, Jackson, two other former school employees and others also are accused of engaging in an overtime scheme. Prosecutors allege that Abedelal authorized unearned overtime pay for employees who were directed to "deliver the proceeds to Abedelal or McBride in the form of cash or gift cards." Abedelal also is accused of telling school employees who participated in the scam that the money would be used to fund legitimate school expenses. Instead, Abedelal intended to convert the money to her own personal use, prosecutors allege in the indictment. Prosecutors want Abedelal to give up her home in Woodlawn, which they said she used the overtime money to pay the mortgage on, according to court papers. In all, $250,000 was pilfered in the schemes, which started in 2016, according to the indictment. In 2017, Abedelal was one of 90 principals picked for CPS' Independent Schools Principal program, a program launched by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel that allows high-performing principals to run their schools with less oversight from central office.