Robert Bentley's resignation for similar crimes. 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. ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - UPDATE: See details from Thursdays special meeting of the Athens City Board of Education below the details of each individuals charges. 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. Dr. Beth Taylor. 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. Former Athens superintendent Trey Hollaway, who pleaded guilty to his role in concocting a scheme to defraud public schools across the state, will spend the next 60 months in federal prison. The DOJ reminds the public that an indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. According to court records and information contained in Holladays plea agreement, Holladay and Sisk did so when they submitted to the ALSDE lists of enrolled students who were, in reality, full-time students at private schools located in other parts of the state.. Former teacher Greg Corkren and former Marengo High football coach Webb Tutt will serve 22 and 24 months, respectively, in federal prison. WAFF 48 reached out to Athens City Schools for a comment regarding this case. Over the past months, Athens City Schools has fully cooperated with the Department of Justice as its investigation proceeded. 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. Jul. David Cole again takes election challenge to the Alabama Supreme Court, Manufacture Alabama endorses Judge Chris McCool for Supreme Court, Alabama Forestry Association endorses Chris McCool for Alabama Supreme Court, Alabama Forestry Association endorses Twinkle Cavanaugh for PSC president, Alabama-based Strategy Management win three industry awards, Opinion | Educational outcomes not politics should be our top priority, Ivey: Pre-K secretary dismissed due to distractions of different lifestyles, equity, Local agencies receive $4.4 million in grants to weatherize homes, Ivey signs bill setting mandatory minimums for fentanyl trafficking, Economic development bills to focus on rural development, site prep, Week in review: House handles business after passing General Fund budget, Alabama Arise supports Senate bill to reduce grocery tax, Bill filed to ban drag shows in public spaces, Bill targeting shoplifting passes Senate Judiciary committee, Abortion access advocates lobby legislators to support HB17, oppose HB208, Alabamas spring housing market in a unique position, Gov. LA Unified strike nears; teachers plan to join other workers in protest . LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - Former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay officially pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar virtual academy fraud scheme on Thursday. You can email him at [emailprotected] or reach him via Twitter. 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. Katie Britt: Alabama powering new era of space exploration, In a matter of minutes, the TV news world was upended, Community colleges offer no-cost fiber optic technician training, Ivey forces resignation of Education secretary over woke Pre-K book, Divisive Concepts bill headed back to the House for the second year, While community colleges nationally saw enrollment decline, Alabama bucks the trend, School choice in one of the most segregated, unequal systems in the country, Advocacy groups to rally for Medicaid expansion, New Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences to be established in Demopolis by 2026, Medical associations launch campaign to warn Alabamians of fentanyl dangers, Mental health system faces crises of workforce shortage, uncompensated care, Opinion | Alabama has made progress in rural broadband expansion, but work remains, Opinion | Alabama has a host of outstanding political leaders under 45, Opinion | The firing of Alabamas pre-k secretary isnt fighting anything. RELATED: Athens City Schools approves separation agreement with former superintendent, $250,000 payment. 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 None of the other individuals charged in the indictment remain affiliated with Athens City Schools in any manner. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Thursday night the Athens City School Board announced they are going forward in making changes in the districts leadership. 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. Another round of projects was set for summer 2010, at 21 schools. Officials say this settlement payment resolves and eliminates any further compensation as well as other expenses which may have otherwise been obliged to pay related to the matter. 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. Current Limestone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Randy Shearouse released this statement: 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. 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. A spokesperson for the FBI confirms that "law enforcement action" was taken at the home of Athens City School Superintendent Trey Holladay on Tuesday morning. Funds allocated for education should be spent to educate our public school students. Terry Holliday - Superintendent - Iredell Statesville Schools - LinkedIn Limestone Co Indictment by WAFF 48 on Scribd. Additionally, Trey Holladay, Carter, and Corkren are charged with aggravated identity theft. The school system will continue to work with federal officials and the Alabama State Department of Education as the matter proceeds in court. APRs Josh Moon first reported about the FBIs investigation into Holladay in August when he reported that in less than three years, Limestones general fund budget swelled from a reserve balance of around $2 million to now more than $20 million. Ill write about them over and over again. Assistant Superintendent at Iredell-Statesville Schools Statesville, NC. Advertisement. Six people, including two former superintendents, are named in the indictment. Athens had experienced a similar uptick in revenue the last five years. First Day of School 2023-2024. . All sections in the city are zoned to an elementary, middle, and high school.[3]. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The following statement was read by Superintendent Beth Patton: The Athens City Schools community is shocked and very concerned to read Tuesdays release from the U.S. Attorneys office. 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. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross, Alice S. LaCour, and Brett J. Talley are prosecuting the case. Additionally, any defendant convicted of aggravated identity theft could receive a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence on each count. W.L. is a thirty-one-year veteran public school educator with twenty-seven years in educational leadership.He is in his fourth year as superintendent of the Athens City Schools system in Athens, AL. Superintendent Trey Holladay is shown in a photo on the Athens City Schools website. Holladay , . There is absolutely no way that we would do anything detrimental to the school system. The elections are held on a first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years effective with the 2018 election. We appreciate so much the overwhelming support from our friends and community. Three former Alabama school employees ordered to serve years in federal Trey Holladay, Athens, Alabama professional. Expert Retired A trial date had been set for September 13th in Montgomery for former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay, his wife Deborah Holladay and Rick Carter, director of innovative. Hollaway was ordered to pay $2.9 million. Corkren faced an additional two-year sentence and up to $250,000 fine for the aggravated identity theft charge. 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. Scheme victim's family files suit against ex-superintendents, 7 others 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 tell the state false numbers of students in their school systems so that they could pocket additional state money. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Trial delayed for former Athens City Schools superintendent accused in