COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former school superintendent and
three other people have been indicted on federal charges alleging they
used a charter school in Dayton in a corruption conspiracy.
Federal
and state officials in Columbus on Tuesday announced a grand jury
indictment charging the defendants with conspiracy and with aiding and
abetting federal programs bribery. The indictment states that the Arise
Academy school operated through 2010 and received at least $10,000 a
year in federal funding through the state.
The indictment alleges
that the school’s superintendent, Shane K. Floyd, of Strongsville, and
two board members solicited and accepted bribes from a man who operated
Global Educational Consultants. That man, Carl L. Robinson, of Durham,
North Carolina, also was indicted.
There were no home telephone listings available for Floyd and Robinson, nor for Global Educational
Consultants in Durham.
The
indictment alleges that Robinson formed the consulting business in late
July 2008 and then quickly secured a consulting contract with Arise
that resulted in Arise paying Global $420,919 over 12 months. The
indictment says Robinson and Floyd had previously formed another
educational consulting business together.
The indictment alleges
that Robinson paid Floyd thousands of dollars in cash, usually soon
after Arise had made payments to Global. Robinson is alleged to have
given one board member a trip to Las Vegas and the other money for a
school security business she co-owned.
The U.S. attorney’s office says all four could face prison sentences and the government is seeking the
$420,919 in forfeiture.
State
education department records show that the school is no longer
operating. The indictment states it operated from 2008 to 2010. Phone
numbers listed in records had been disconnected.
The indictment
states that Arise had "significant financial difficulties from the
beginning," resulting in teacher pay cuts while Global was still being
paid above the agreed-to contract amounts.