Rhino
07-12-2006, 12:00 PM
Jul 12, 10:53 AM EDT
Former Ga. Schools Chief Gets 8 Years
By KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- Former Georgia schools superintendent Linda Schrenko was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $415,000 in restitution in an embezzlement scheme that helped pay for her face lift and campaign for governor.
U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper called Schrenko's offenses "an egregious abuse of the public's trust" and a reason the public is losing trust in public officials.
Prosecutors said the scheme defrauded the public of $600,000 in federal education funds, intended for deaf and honors students. They said the money was funneled into Schrenko's 2002 campaign for governor and spent on a face lift.
"Obviously I'm sorry. That's all I can say," Schrenko said as she left the courthouse. "I'm ready to go. I'm tired."
"I made a lot of mistakes and I trusted people I shouldn't have trusted," she said.
Schrenko, 56, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering in exchange for testifying against co-defendants, and agreed to serve eight years in prison. Her prison sentence will be followed by three years probation and 100 days of community service.........http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SUPERINTENDENT_EMBEZZLEMENT?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Where's Borgia? For his stats, her party affiliation was named in paragraph 8 out of 14. She's a Republican.
Former Ga. Schools Chief Gets 8 Years
By KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- Former Georgia schools superintendent Linda Schrenko was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $415,000 in restitution in an embezzlement scheme that helped pay for her face lift and campaign for governor.
U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper called Schrenko's offenses "an egregious abuse of the public's trust" and a reason the public is losing trust in public officials.
Prosecutors said the scheme defrauded the public of $600,000 in federal education funds, intended for deaf and honors students. They said the money was funneled into Schrenko's 2002 campaign for governor and spent on a face lift.
"Obviously I'm sorry. That's all I can say," Schrenko said as she left the courthouse. "I'm ready to go. I'm tired."
"I made a lot of mistakes and I trusted people I shouldn't have trusted," she said.
Schrenko, 56, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering in exchange for testifying against co-defendants, and agreed to serve eight years in prison. Her prison sentence will be followed by three years probation and 100 days of community service.........http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SUPERINTENDENT_EMBEZZLEMENT?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Where's Borgia? For his stats, her party affiliation was named in paragraph 8 out of 14. She's a Republican.