01-31-2009, 06:24 PM
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January 8, 2009
UPDATE: Ex-Hunterdon superintendent pleads guilty to stealing $90G from school district
By BRANDON LAUSCH and WALTER O'BRIEN
Staff Writers
A former Hunterdon County superintendent on Thursday admitted to stealing more than $90,000 from his school by pocketing lunch money, double dipping insurance and using unauthorized reimbursements to fund college classes, home improvements and trips to Florida.
Robert P. Walsh, the former business administrator and superintendent of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District in Alexandria, appeared in federal court here to plead guilty to one count of criminal information charging embezzlement after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.
Walsh, 43, of Forks Township, Pa., testified that he embezzled about $68,000 by offering to deposit cafeteria money but then taking the cash and diverting checks from a general school fund into the food services account to cover the difference.
During a question-and-answer session with U.S. District Judge Renee M. Bumb, Walsh also confessed to receiving unauthorized or excessive reimbursements to fund travel and tuition expenses, life insurance premiums and improvements to his home.
Prosecutors said the fraud and embezzlement â which totaled $90,615 â occurred from September 2005 to September 2007 when Walsh was serving as business administrator or superintendent.
Walsh faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but both sides in the case said they will recommend he spend from one year to 18 months in jail when he is sentenced April 20.
The presiding judge, however, is not bound by the suggested term, and Walsh has waived his right to challenge the sentence after it's imposed.
After his appearance, Walsh was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond under the terms that he will restrict his travel to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and surrender his passport.
Walsh defense attorney Joe Afflitto said his client decided to plead guilty to get maximum credit for "accepting responsibility and putting this behind him.''
School board President Leslie Callanan said yesterday she was relieved that the case reached a conclusion and that Walsh is going to "face the consequences of his betrayal to our community.''
Callanan said officials, in the wake of the allegations, hired a forensic auditor for an internal review of school finances. A new auditor also is in place to ensure checks and balances.
"It was an absolute betrayal of the school, the staff, the students and the community at large,'' Callanan said of Walsh's actions. "That's money taken directly away from our students. Can anything be more reprehensible than taking students' lunch money?''
On Monday, Jan. 12, Walsh is expected to appear in state Superior Court in Flemington to plead guilty to official misconduct, but Hunterdon County prosecutors said they will suspend the sentence on the conditions that Walsh serve his time in federal prison and pay full restitution, which he has agreed to do.
The allegations against Walsh were made public in September 2007 when the school board suspended him with pay. Officials said he resigned a short time later.
At the time of his suspension, Walsh had more than 15 years of educational experience, including at least a dozen at Delaware Valley Regional High School. He earned a base salary of $135,000 a year, according to public records.
Less than two years after he joined the school, Walsh was indicted by a Bergen County grand jury on charges that he defrauded the Moonachie School District while serving as business administrator there, published reports state.
In 1997, a jury acquitted him of theft, forgery and official misconduct charges, according to The Record of Hackensack.
Current Delaware Valley Superintendent Elizabeth Nastus said officials "will do everything we can in our district to continue to model appropriate behavior and work with our staff and students and community to move forward.''
"This is in no way a reflection of who we are. It will not happen here again,'' Nastus said. "We have the controls that will make sure that all of our administrative staff are fully versed in the budget practices and oversight from the cafeteria to the daily functioning of the building. We already had a system of checks and balances in place but will act to make them even stronger. This is very upsetting when you're charged with such an awesome responsibility.''
Delaware Valley Regional High School serves more than 1,000 students in grades 9-12 from Alexandria, Frenchtown, Holland, Milford and Kingwood.
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January 8, 2009
UPDATE: Ex-Hunterdon superintendent pleads guilty to stealing $90G from school district
By BRANDON LAUSCH and WALTER O'BRIEN
Staff Writers
A former Hunterdon County superintendent on Thursday admitted to stealing more than $90,000 from his school by pocketing lunch money, double dipping insurance and using unauthorized reimbursements to fund college classes, home improvements and trips to Florida.
Robert P. Walsh, the former business administrator and superintendent of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District in Alexandria, appeared in federal court here to plead guilty to one count of criminal information charging embezzlement after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.
Walsh, 43, of Forks Township, Pa., testified that he embezzled about $68,000 by offering to deposit cafeteria money but then taking the cash and diverting checks from a general school fund into the food services account to cover the difference.
During a question-and-answer session with U.S. District Judge Renee M. Bumb, Walsh also confessed to receiving unauthorized or excessive reimbursements to fund travel and tuition expenses, life insurance premiums and improvements to his home.
Prosecutors said the fraud and embezzlement â which totaled $90,615 â occurred from September 2005 to September 2007 when Walsh was serving as business administrator or superintendent.
Walsh faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but both sides in the case said they will recommend he spend from one year to 18 months in jail when he is sentenced April 20.
The presiding judge, however, is not bound by the suggested term, and Walsh has waived his right to challenge the sentence after it's imposed.
After his appearance, Walsh was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond under the terms that he will restrict his travel to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and surrender his passport.
Walsh defense attorney Joe Afflitto said his client decided to plead guilty to get maximum credit for "accepting responsibility and putting this behind him.''
School board President Leslie Callanan said yesterday she was relieved that the case reached a conclusion and that Walsh is going to "face the consequences of his betrayal to our community.''
Callanan said officials, in the wake of the allegations, hired a forensic auditor for an internal review of school finances. A new auditor also is in place to ensure checks and balances.
"It was an absolute betrayal of the school, the staff, the students and the community at large,'' Callanan said of Walsh's actions. "That's money taken directly away from our students. Can anything be more reprehensible than taking students' lunch money?''
On Monday, Jan. 12, Walsh is expected to appear in state Superior Court in Flemington to plead guilty to official misconduct, but Hunterdon County prosecutors said they will suspend the sentence on the conditions that Walsh serve his time in federal prison and pay full restitution, which he has agreed to do.
The allegations against Walsh were made public in September 2007 when the school board suspended him with pay. Officials said he resigned a short time later.
At the time of his suspension, Walsh had more than 15 years of educational experience, including at least a dozen at Delaware Valley Regional High School. He earned a base salary of $135,000 a year, according to public records.
Less than two years after he joined the school, Walsh was indicted by a Bergen County grand jury on charges that he defrauded the Moonachie School District while serving as business administrator there, published reports state.
In 1997, a jury acquitted him of theft, forgery and official misconduct charges, according to The Record of Hackensack.
Current Delaware Valley Superintendent Elizabeth Nastus said officials "will do everything we can in our district to continue to model appropriate behavior and work with our staff and students and community to move forward.''
"This is in no way a reflection of who we are. It will not happen here again,'' Nastus said. "We have the controls that will make sure that all of our administrative staff are fully versed in the budget practices and oversight from the cafeteria to the daily functioning of the building. We already had a system of checks and balances in place but will act to make them even stronger. This is very upsetting when you're charged with such an awesome responsibility.''
Delaware Valley Regional High School serves more than 1,000 students in grades 9-12 from Alexandria, Frenchtown, Holland, Milford and Kingwood.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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