Operators of California charter school guilty of misappropriation of funds

The operators of a California charter school have been found guilty of illegally taking or misappropriating more than $200,000 in public funds. The Los Angeles Times says Yevgeny "Eugene" Selivanov, 40, and his wife, Tatyana Berkovich, 36, operators of Ivy Academia, based in Woodland Hills, were convicted of misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement and filing false tax returns. Selivanov also was convicted of false accounting and money laundering. The couple contended they were using state money in ways that were legal under laws that apply to nonprofits and charter schools in California. Charter advocates followed the case closely because it could expose other operators to prosecution and, because, they said, it could undermine the flexibility that benefits charter campuses.  Ivy Academia has 1,100 students on three campuses.