Trey Holladay, 57, faces up to five years in prison and substantial monetary penalties according to a statement by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Alabama. 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. So far, the operators of the private schools have not faced charges for their roles, if any, in the scheme. Defense attorneys filed a motion with the court to delay the trial from its original September start in order to give them more time to . We appreciate so much the overwhelming support from our friends and community. Corkren faced an additional two-year sentence and up to $250,000 fine for the aggravated identity theft charge. The agreement states Holladay will face a minimum sentence of no fewer than 30 months in prison. The four co-defendants each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Retired Superintendent Of Ed., Athens City Schools Experience at: Athens City Schools, School Superintendents of Alabama, Personalized Learning - Athens Renaissance Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay will be sentenced July 21, along with Gregory Earl Corkren and David Webb Tutt. Tom Sisk, who pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme, will serve 18 months in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set for Holladay. Alabama department of education wanted defendants to repay $5.7 million, found guilty of conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in March, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Each will have three years of supervised release after serving prison time. Hollaway was ordered to pay $2.9 million. 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. Any defendant convicted of wire or mail fraud faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. 'Trey' Holladay, Ed.D. The scheme saw educators steal the identities of students in private schools and then use them to bilk public schools out of millions. We are an equal opportunity employer and educator who fully and actively supports equal access for all people regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme. He is also listed as a friend of Trey Holladay in the indictment. The system refers further inquiries about the matter to Dr. Holladay's legal counsel and the federal officials involved." . Trey and Deborah Holladay released the following statement following the indictments release: We are a family of teachers and coaches. Additionally, any defendant convicted of aggravated identity theft could receive a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence on each count. Scroll to continue reading. SCHOOL BOARD . The charges against us are unfounded and will be vigorously defended. Upon reviewing the allegations against Dr. Rick Carter, Athens City Schools has placed him on administrative leave until further notice. Assistant Superintendent at Iredell-Statesville Schools Statesville, NC. | Athens had experienced a similar uptick in revenue the last five years. District, teachers, at odds. Additionally, Trey Holladay, Carter, and Corkren are charged with aggravated identity theft. You can email him at [emailprotected] or reach him via Twitter. Holladay was one of three defendants sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson. The Board says they will begin the process and timeline for posting and selecting a new superintendent within the next few weeks. 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. Holladay was on leave from June 2020 until his last day with the district on Oct. 31, 2020. Former Athens City School superintendent pleads guilty to defrauding state, Will Dismukes found guilty of first-degree theft of property, Alabama Supreme Court upholds removal of Talladega probate judge. Holladay and his co-defendants offered laptop computers, access to online curriculum, standardized testing and money to entice private schools, mostly located in Alabamas Black Belt, and gain access to those schools students private information, which they used to steal from the state, the press release states. According to a plea agreement finalized Thursday, Trey Holladay admitted that he, along with Thomas Michael Sisk, former superintendent of the Limestone County Schools system, conspired to. Help us combat the proliferation of sexual exploitation crimes against children. is a thirty-one-year veteran public school educator with twenty-seven years in educational leadership. 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. Carter's co-conspirators include former superintendent of the Athens City Schools district Dr. William L. ("Trey") Holladay, III; David Webb Tutt, of Uniontown, Alabama; Gregory ("Greg") Earl Corkren, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and former superintendent of the Limestone County School district Thomas Michael Sisk. Corkren and Tutt each faced a sentence of up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Example video title will go here for this video. (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. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. In fact, the indictment alleged, the Holladays were simply being paid for the phony transcripts of private school students. Holladay faces up to five years in prison and large fines after pleading guilty. Thomas Sisk was the superintendent of the Limestone County, Alabama School District during the times investigated. A few years ago, some of the same people excusing Trump's recent indictment were celebrating Gov. Dr. Holladay has almost two years remaining on his superintendent contract. The FBI started investigating Holladays home in June 2020. 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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. All rights reserved. Any defendant convicted of wire or mail fraud faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, as well as substantial monetary penalties and restitution. And Thompson said testimony revealed that 98 percent of the students used in the scheme were white. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The state department told federal officials it had recouped funding from Limestone and Conecuh counties, but did not state the amounts. The three pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme. 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. As a result of this, districts received payments from Alabamas Education Trust Fund as if the students actually attended public schools. 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. Court records show on Tuesday Holladay changed his plea of not guilty to guilty for one count of conspiracy. He still faces 88 counts of wire fraud and 34 counts of aggravated identity theft. It is located 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and is the third-largest school district in Los Angeles County. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. To learn more about The Alabama Education Lab and receive notifications about stories and events, sign up for its newsletter, Ed Chat. 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. Superintendent Trey Holladay is shown in a photo on the Athens City Schools website. As a result, the private schools obtained funds that they were not lawfully entitled to receive.. Two more of his co-conspirators will join him for at least a portion of that time. David Rothwell Athletic Director at Iredell-Statesville Schools Statesville, NC. 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. 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. The school system will continue to work with federal officials and the Alabama State Department of Education as the matter proceeds in court. April 20, 2023. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Robert Bentley's resignation for similar crimes. Former Athens City Schools superintendent Trey Holladay has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a multiyear scheme to defraud the state. According to court records and information contained in Holladays plea agreement, Holladay and Sisk gave the state lists of enrolled students who were, in reality, full-time students at private schools located in other parts of the state. . He faces a maximum prison sentence of five years along with substantial monetary penalties. The Athens City Board of Education voted 5-2 Wednesday to hire William "Trey" Holladay as superintendent contingent on contract approval. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He is one of six state educators accused of enrolling those private school students into their virtual classes to get their tax dollars. Landon Powell, Matt Williams, Hunter Dilworth, Ryan Brown, Trey Dyson and JK Love. Trey Holladay. Five others were named in Tuesdays indictment. The various defendants then received, for theirown personal use, portions of the state money. Such lengths included: creating fake report cards, manufacturing false addresses for the students of the private schools who lived outside of Alabama, and submitting falsified course completion reports to the state department of education. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. Carter faces up to 20 years in prison in addition to fines and restitution. We will continue to hold high standards at every level from local schools to the state with the expectation that every public school dollar will be spent to support our children., Public officials and employees are obligated to perform their duties and administer funds with integrity and according to requirements of the law, said Alabama Attorney General Marshall. The DOJ reminds the public that an indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. A federal judge granted the motion on Dec. 7. Former teacher Greg Corkren and former Marengo High football coach Webb Tutt will serve 22 and 24 months, respectively, in federal prison. 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.". Superintendent pleads guilty in fraud case. W.L. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. Holladay left the school district months after the FBI started investigating him in 2020. The federal investigation has been ongoing since that time. This page is not available in other languages. Co-defendants . ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - UPDATE: See details from Thursdays special meeting of the Athens City Board of Education below the details of each individuals charges. . The private schools used in the scheme are almost entirely white. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He left Limestone County Schools to become the director of Bristol, TN schools. The defendants named in the indictment are Dr. William L. ("Trey") Holladay, III, 56, a resident of Athens, Alabama and the former superintendent of the Athens City Schools district; Deborah Irby Holladay, 57, of Athens and formerly employed by the Athens City Schools district; William Richard ("Rick") Carter, Jr., 45, also of Athens, currently Limestone Co Indictment by WAFF 48 on Scribd. 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. The private school parents continued to pay tuition to the private schools. We appreciate so much the overwhelming support from our friends and community. Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr. is currently set for trial on February 7, 2022. Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme. All three must report to the Bureau of Prisons by 2 p.m. on Sept. 1. Date: 8/14/2023. 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. Holladay now faces a maximum five-year prison sentence and has agreed to potential monetary penalties imposed by a judge, according to court records. Published on December 17, 2021 at 7:52 am CST. The public schools in those counties are made up almost entirely of Black students. These sentences may seem severe, but they are in accordance with the severity of the criminal acts these individuals committed.. Wednesday, March 15, 2023 Print Edition St. Patrick's Day in Athens A Tuscaloosa County man mentioned more than 150 times in a federal indictment involving four local former educators received more. Former Athens City Schools superintendent William L. Trey Holladay III on Thursday received the maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.9 million in restitution for his part in a multimillion dollar fraud scheme where he ordered private school students to be enrolled as full-time virtual public school students in order to receive state education funding. Page 2. Published on May 25, 2021 at 2:25 pm CDT. Corkren also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Andy Trotter . 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. 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. You can email him at [emailprotected] or follow him on Twitter. Now, after months of a federal investigation, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously approved a $250,000 separation agreement with Holladay. Its just wrong, Opinion | Sen. Jay Hovey may have meant well, but he was wrong. Holladay , . The students continued to attend the brick-and-mortar private schools each day, they received instruction from employees of the private schools, and, after class, some played sports for their private schools. The students whose identities were used in the scheme had little to no connection to the public school districts, federal officials confirmed. The Day's Scoop: Your daily email briefing on all things Alabama politics. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Six people, including two former superintendents, are named in the indictment. Ivey announces new record low unemployment rate for Alabama, Small business optimism declines in March, 2022 economic development projects brought record capital investment, Online job ads in February down 12.4 percent from last year, Britt: Kids Social Media Act critical for protecting children, Sewell calls on Congress to reject Republican debt ceiling demands, Britt part of bipartisan effort to regulate kids use of social media, US Sen. 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