Indictments Claim CU Employees LootedDormant Accounts

NEW ORLEANS - (12/17/04) -- Three employees of the localteachers credit union were among 11 school employees, includingteachers and secretaries, indicted by a federal grand jury Thursdayon charges of corruption in the New Orleans school system. Thethree credit union workers were charged with stealing $150,000 fromOrleans Public School FCU by withdrawing money from accounts ofmembers who were dead or had moved. The three were identified as:Sherry Wilkinson, 47, the credit union's assistant manager; AngelaWilliams, 38, accounting assistant; and Juawanne Scott, 32, ateller. The indictment, a copy of which was obtained by The CreditUnion Journal, charges the three also stole funds by writing checksand failing to debit their own accounts. Others indicted includedinsurance brokers accused of paying kickbacks to a school systemadministrator in return for contracts; two teachers and two middleschool clerks charged with extortion; and two high schoolsecretaries charged with stealing paychecks. The 11 indictmentsbrings to 24 the total number of Orleans Parish School Systememployees charged with looting school funds. The indictments camedays after school officials said they face a multi-million dollardeficit, partly because of theft and corruption.