A former Chicago Public Schools principal and an ex-CPS employee pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court for their roles in a kickback scheme that took thousands from local school districts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Antonio Ross and Alfonzo Lewis both signed plea deals Tuesday after being indicted just over a year ago, according to court records.
The two allegedly created companies to apply as vendors for professional service contracts with District 65, submitting “false and fraudulent” documents to win them and then hid thousands of dollars in kickbacks to then-district superintendent Devon Horton, according to prosecutors.
Ross, then serving as Hyde Park Academy High School principal, obtained nearly $120,000 from District 65 and paid Horton nearly $42,000 from the proceeds, prosecutors said.
The scheme ran from August 2020 to…
HOW TO SPOT A “RED FLAG” (THE BEHAVIORAL AUDIT)
Keep an eye out for these behavioral shifts in your staff:
Refusal to take leave: Afraid someone will find their “adjustments.”
Unexplained wealth: Buying luxury items that don’t match their known salary.
Working odd hours: Preferring to work alone late at night when no one is watching the system.
“Gatekeeper” behavior: Becoming overly defensive or angry when someone asks to see their records.