GREENBELT, Md. (AP/WMAL) – A former Catholic schools administrator is charged in a scheme to embezzle more than $500,000 from the Archdiocese of Washington according to the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.
“The indictment itself lists theft as about $45,000, but, this afternoon, at the defendant’s initial appearance, my assistant US Attorney actually put on the record that the amount in total that he stole was in excess of half a million dollars,” United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur told WMAL Wednesday.
Hur said 40-year-old Kenneth Gaughan of Washington has been indicted on three counts of mail fraud. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The indictment alleges that as assistant superintendent, Gaughan caused the archdiocese to pay invoices he manufactured for anti-bullying and crisis intervention programs and software used to send mass text messages to students and families. He allegedly incorporated companies using names similar to real companies’ and opened bank accounts in those names.
The archdiocese says it contacted the FBI after learning of financial irregularities in April. It says Gaughan “subsequently ceased employment.”
Gaughan was released after an initial appearance Wednesday.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (Photo: Pixabay/CC0 Creative Commons)
