Details on the plea agreement were released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montgomery on Thursday. 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. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. Alabamas community colleges have experienced an increase in enrollment by at least 5 percent each year since 2020. Federal trial pushed back for former Athens superintendent This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Educations Office of Inspector General. The Day's Scoop: Your daily email briefing on all things Alabama politics. Superintendent Trey Holladay is shown in a photo on the Athens City Schools website. All six of the defendants are charged with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Former Athens Superintendent William Lee "Trey" Holladay is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty for conspiracy in December. Advertisement. TM & document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); The defendants skimmed the state money through direct cash payments and payments to third-party contractors owned by the various co-conspirators. Former Athens City Schools superintendent pleads guilty to - WAFF As a result, the private schools obtained funds that they were not lawfully entitled to receive.. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay officially pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme on Thursday. Former Athens superintendent pleads guilty, settles conspiracy case Athens City School Administrator Found Guilty in Virtual Education A federal grand jury indicted William Lee "Trey" Holladay III, 56, of Athens, the former Athens City superintendent, and former Limestone County Schools superintendent Thomas Michael Sisk, 55, of . You can email him at [emailprotected] or follow him on Twitter. Former Athens superintendent ordered to serve years in federal prison He is also listed as a friend of Trey Holladay in the indictment. The charges against us are unfounded and will be vigorously defended. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, the DOJ says that , "Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five ears imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. According to his. . Corkren also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. 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. 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 high number of counts, a total of of 127, is because each alleged instance of fraudulent enrollment and identity theft is a separate count. Carter will be sentenced in August. Holladay was on leave from June 2020 until his last day with the district on Oct. 31, 2020. 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. Trey received a master's degree degree from West Alabama . Former Athens superintendent pleaded guilty to conspiracy in virtual 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. The private schools used in the scheme are almost entirely white. 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. Holladay faces up to five years in prison and large fines after pleading guilty. Scheme victim's family files suit against ex-superintendents, 7 others Fortunately, the U.S. Attorney, FBI, and OIG have committed investigators who, like us, are determined to make sure every taxpayer dollar is accounted for and every dollar intended for the classroom is spent on the classroom, he said. 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. Corkren faced an additional two-year sentence and up to $250,000 fine for the aggravated identity theft charge. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. During the school years that the scheme allegedly occurredthe 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school yearsthe private school students and parents had little to no connection with the public school districts in which they were supposedly enrolled. Former Athens, Limestone superintendents face federal conspiracy, fraud Additionally, Trey Holladay, Carter, and Corkren are charged with aggravated identity theft. Published on May 25, 2021 at 2:25 pm CDT. Terry Holliday - Superintendent - Iredell Statesville Schools - LinkedIn The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Carters motion for a new trial was rejected by Judge Thompson. Two Former Alabama Public School Superintendents Among Six Charged with Landon Powell, Matt Williams, Hunter Dilworth, Ryan Brown, Trey Dyson and JK Love. 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 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. Trey Holladay, Athens, Alabama professional. Expert Retired Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. The indictment states the purpose of the conspiracy was to obtain greater state funding allocations through the Foundation Program than they would otherwise have been entitled to Athens City Schools 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. To learn more about The Alabama Education Lab and receive notifications about stories and events, sign up for its newsletter, Ed Chat. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme. The FBI started investigating Holladays home in June 2020. 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. The various defendants then received, for theirown personal use, portions of the state money. Holladay now faces a maximum five-year prison sentence and has agreed to potential monetary penalties imposed by a judge, according to court records. 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While the school system was mentioned in the indictment brought in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the indictment does not name the Limestone County Board of Education or anyone currently involved with Limestone County Schools as defendants. DIVISION II STATE CHAMPIONS. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He is one of two former schools superintendents, including former Limestone county Superintendent Tom Sisk, accused of conspiracy to defraud the U.S Government. See WAFFs story below from October 2020 when the Athens City Board of Education removed Holladay from his role as Superintendent. Deborah Holladay is the wife of Trey Holladay and was a teacher employed by the Athens City School District at the times investigated. 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. The settlement also provides financial savings and more certainty for financial obligations under Holladays employment contract. Josh Moon is an investigative reporter and featured columnist at the Alabama Political Reporter with years of political reporting experience in Alabama. William Lee Trey Holladay, III formally separated from Athens City Schools in October 2020. Hubbard, originally sentenced to four years for violating ethics laws, has been in the custody of the ADOC since September 2020. Carter faces up to 20 years in prison in addition to fines and restitution. Holladay was on leave from June 2020 until his last day with the district on Oct. 31, 2020. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. W.L. 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. Because of state laws, Athens Schools officials have been unable to terminate Rick Carter, who was convicted in March of seven felonies. Limestone County Schools released a response to the indictment: 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 the plea agreement, additional charges of wire fraud and identity theft against Holladay were dropped. District, teachers, at odds. SCHOOL BOARD . Holladay left the school district months after the FBI started investigating him in 2020. Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. He is one of six state educators accused of enrolling those private school students into their virtual classes to get their tax dollars. Walnut Valley Unified School District 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 Athens, currently the executive director of planning for Athens City Schools and formerly the districts director of innovative programs; (4)David Webb Tutt, 61, of Uniontown, Alabama; (5)Gregory (Greg) Earl Corkren, 56, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and (6)Thomas Michael Sisk, 55, a resident of Toney, Alabama and formerly the superintendent of the Limestone County School district. 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. There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. 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. A former Athens school superintendent has pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud the Alabama State Department of Education by falsely inflating the number of students enrolled in public virtual schools. Because the jury found the state proved certain aggravating circumstances, Dismukes could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. In fact, as mentioned during the Justice Departments press conference, the indictment does not include any current Limestone County School employees. 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. Scholastic Inc. None of the other individuals charged in the indictment remain affiliated with Athens City Schools in any manner. Court records show on Tuesday Holladay. Former Athens, Limestone superintendents indicted for virtual-education However, over the course of several years, the individuals named in the indictment betrayed the trust of not only our citizens but our students, parents, and other teachers and administrators who continue to work diligently every day. He faces a maximum prison sentence of five years along with substantial monetary penalties. We will continue to cooperate with Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart and her team until the matter is completely adjudicated and settled.. This was accomplished by enrolling full time in-person students into their respective virtual schools. Public Invited to 'Spring Into Wellness' Community Health Festival. Former Limestone County Superintendent Tom Sisk was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Tuesday, fined $15,000 and ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. Scroll to continue reading. Two more of his co-conspirators will join him for at least a portion of that time. Dr. Trey Holladay and Deborah Holladay released the following joint statement. Athens had experienced a similar uptick in revenue the last five years. Retired Superintendent Of Ed., Athens City Schools Experience at: Athens City Schools, School Superintendents of Alabama, Personalized Learning - Athens Renaissance Athens, Alabama. They also concocted a scheme in which Tutt, Corkren and Deborah Holladay, Trey Holladays wife, created consulting companies that allegedly recruited students to the virtual schools. Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay was placed on administrative leave after federal agents raided his home in June, 2020. Trey Holladay. The Day's Scoop: Your daily email briefing on all things Alabama politics. (STOCK) The trial date in a multi-million dollar fraud case against former Athens Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and two others has been delayed until early 2022. His previous experience includes system-wide administrator, high school principal, elementary principal, assistant principal, athletic director, classroom teacher, and head . Six people, including two former superintendents, are named in the indictment. Trey Holladay, the mastermind of the virtual school scam, was hit with a lengthy prison sentence and hefty fine. When he entered his guilty plea, Holladay admitted that he, along with co-defendant Thomas Michael Sisk, superintendent of the Limestone County Schools system (LCS), conspired to fraudulently inflate the number of students enrolled in their systems, the statement reads. STEALING FROM THE STATE: Retired educator received $1.7M from ACS ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - Former Athens superintendent, William Lee Trey Holladay has entered a guilty plea for a conspiracy charge. April 19, 2023. They anticipate to have a new superintendent in place very soon. They stole from the children of Alabama, he said. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay, his wife and former Limestone County Schools Superintendent Tom Sisk are among those named in a federal. 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. with co-defendants former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and former Athens City School principal and administrator Rick Carter . Trey Holladay - Principal - Oxford City Schools | ZoomInfo School officials have not discussed this matter at the request of federal officials, and will continue to refrain from discussing it. During his professional career, Tutt held various positions, including football coach at Marengo Academy in Linden.
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