Embezzlement probe shakes Cheney School District

A former accounts payable clerk at Cheney School District is under investigation for allegedly embezzling as much as $7,800 and destroying records to cover up her actions.

Cheney police are investigating the case and plan to turn it over to the Spokane County prosecutor’s office by Tuesday for possible criminal charges, said Rick Campbell, interim Cheney police chief.

The school district originally discovered the financial problems this spring and referred the matter to Cheney police and state officials.

The suspected misuse of public funds took place between Oct. 17, 2003, and May 14, 2004.

Cheney School District officials said they couldn’t release the former clerk’s name because it is a personnel matter. The Cheney Police Department doesn’t release the names of people involved in open investigations, Campbell said.

According to a letter written by the Washington state auditor’s office, the clerk used a district bank card and vendor credit card to buy unauthorized items for her personal use. The letter said she also forged the business manager’s signature on purchase orders and opened unauthorized charge accounts at several retail outlets.

Transaction documents are believed to have been destroyed by the clerk to conceal her purchases from the school district, according to the letter.

The clerk worked for the district about nine months and resigned March 31, said Dave Sackville-West, Cheney School District business manager.

District executives were extremely angry, Sackville-West said. “You make sure things are done right,” Sackville-West said. “All of a sudden you find something and it makes you sick.”

Sackville-West said the state auditor and the school board were notified soon after the problem was discovered.

Nothing like this has happened during his 10 years with the district, Sackville-West said.

“What it does to a district is all of a sudden you don’t trust anybody. You have to keep it in perspective,” Sackville-West said.

“Ninety-nine point nine-nine-nine percent of the employees of the district are honest people and would never even think of doing something like this. This takes away a real element of trust with the employees.”