A former administrator at a Delaware charter school has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing more than $161,000 from the school.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware says in a news release that Sean Moore, former director of finance and operations for the Family Foundations Academy in Newcastle pleaded guilty last month to three counts of federal program theft. The school is now known as Charter School of New Castle.
“Acting out of self-interest and greed, Mr. Moore stole money intended for the children he promised to serve," says Acting U.S. Attorney David Weiss. "That is egregious. The sentence imposed today holds him accountable for cheating children, their families, and the taxpayers.”
Between 2011 and 2015, prosecutors say, Moore embezzled $161,871 from the school. Evidence showed that he acquired an unauthorized credit card in the school’s name, bought iPads with school funds and then sold them online for cash. He also skimmed from the school’s fundraising account. Moore used the stolen funds to buy personal items such as food, entertainment, electronics, gas, travel, shoes, jewelry, and hotels.
Prior to sentencing, Moore asserted that he was suffering from a “severe level of sexual addiction and shopping addiction,” which contributed to his commission of the offense.
The school fired Moore and the school’s founder and chief academic officer, Tennell Brewington, in 2015 after an audit found repeated personal use of school credit cards. Brewington pleaded guilty to state charges of theft and official misconduct and was sentenced to probation.
