A former Bruton High School bookkeeper will spend three years in prison for stealing about $150,000 from the high school over 4½ years.
Charlene Denise Flood-Liggon, 55, was sentenced Thursday in York-Poquoson Circuit Court to 26 years in prison with all but three suspended, according to the York-Poquoson commonwealth’s attorney’s office.
Flood-Liggon pleaded guilty to nine counts of embezzlement and fifteen counts of forgery on Jan. 30, according to court records.
As part of her sentencing, Flood-Liggon was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the York County School Board. The board’s insurance carrier has reimbursed the board for the remainder of the funds stolen by Flood-Liggon, the commonwealth’s attorney’s office said.
The office thanked York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office investigator Robert Blinco and Howard M. Mulholland, a senior financial investigator from the state Office of the Attorney General, for their work on the case.
“Commonwealth’s Attorney [Benjamin] Hahn also commends Ms. Arletha Dockery who became principal of Bruton High School for the 2015 school year,” a statement from the commonwealth’s attorney’s office reads. “Ms. Dockery had the courage to make diligent inquiry into the financial irregularities as soon as they came to her attention. Had she not, Flood-Liggon’s thievery would have never come to light.”
Flood-Liggon, of Newport News, opened an unauthorized corporate credit account in Bruton High School’s name and made purchases with it over a span of about 4½ years, according to court records.
Cash belonging to the school was also unaccounted for.
Flood-Liggon handled cash and checks from “every aspect” of the school, including athletics, arts, field trips and more, according to court documents.
The York-Poquoson Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said Friday that Flood-Liggon told school personnel “you don’t understand, these kids are poor” after they questions her over missing funds.
A preliminary investigation tied Flood-Liggon to about $4,731.56 in purchases on an Amazon corporate credit account, but further investigation since February revealed additional losses, Lyons said.
The original charges against Flood-Liggon were nolle prossed in February in the York-Poquoson General District Court, according to court records. When charges are nolle prossed, prosecutors agree to drop them unless new evidence comes to light.
Prosecutors brought back 24 charges against Flood-Liggon in November.
When Flood-Liggon managed Bruton’s student activity fund, the balance totaled $20,693, according to York County School Division Chief Financial Officer Bill Bowen.
On Thursday, the same fund’s balance totaled over $152,000, Bowen said.
“Ms. Flood-Liggon stole from the very students she was there to serve,” Bowen said. “She went to great lengths to conceal her illegal actions and, in doing so, impacted the potential opportunities for hundreds of students from the classes of 2009-2015 at Burton High. Activity funds can typically be used to support new uniforms, equipment purchases, club activities, field trips and other student-centered programs.”
Since Flood-Liggon’s employment was terminated in June 2016, Bruton High School administrators have been able to buy three new outdoor scoreboards, field tarps, uniforms and many other items, according to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office.
WYDaily archives were used in this story.
