Massachusetts principal charged with spending practically $40K of faculty funds on all-inclusive tropical holidays

A former Boston highschool principal is charged with misusing practically $40,000 at school funds for private use, together with two luxurious all-inclusive trip journeys to Barbados.

Naia Wilson, who served as New Mission Excessive Faculty’s headmaster for 13 years, admitted to authorities she dedicated wire fraud totaling roughly $38,806 within the elaborate scheme, according to a DOJ press release on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old educator allegedly began requesting checks from the college’s exterior fiscal agent account to be issued underneath different people from Sept. 2006 till Could 2019.

The New Mission Faculty is an inclusive, portfolio-based Pilot college program that serves grades 7-12, according to their website.

A pilot college finances like New Mission’s is often overseen by an exterior fiscal agent that points checks at an administrator’s request.

She then “fraudulently endorse these checks to herself after which deposited them into her personal checking account.”

Wilson repeated the scheme for journeys to Barbados in 2016 and 2018, and even requested the fiscal agent challenge checks for 2 of her pals who accompanied the principal on the holiday.

“As an alternative of working truthfully on behalf of her college students, Naia Wilson is accused of abusing her authority and utilizing the college’s finances as her personal private slush fund to embezzle tens of hundreds of {dollars} to fund two all-inclusive holidays to Barbados for herself and her pals,” mentioned Christopher DiMenna, Appearing Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. 

Wilson pleaded responsible and agreed to pay restitution as she is going to seem in federal courtroom in Boston at a later date.

A commit of wire fraud can land an individual in jail for a max sentence of 20 years, as much as three years of supervised launch, and a high quality of as much as $250,000.

“Defending kids is likely one of the very high priorities of this Workplace and threats are available all kinds. Right here, Ms. Wilson is accused of diverting college funds for her private profit,” mentioned Appearing United States Lawyer Joshua S. Levy.

“We won’t permit such a gross abuse of authority and duty fly underneath the radar. People who benefit from public belief to line their pockets can be investigated and held accountable.”

The DOJ added the small print contained in Wilson’s charging paperwork are allegations till she is confirmed responsible.

Wilson’s misuse of funds comes practically a 12 months after a Catholic school teacher in Washington, D.C. was sentenced to 30 months in prison for embezzling $175K meant for scholar providers.

Bridget Coates, 49, used the funds “to buy designer vogue from luxurious manufacturers and to assist her qualify for a house mortgage mortgage,” amongst different functions, prosecutors mentioned.

Coates was additionally ordered to finish three years of supervised launch following her jail time period and “pay $175,000 in restitution to the Archdiocese of Washington.”