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.