Mother-daughter duo steals more than $530,000 from bankrupt Detroit Public Schools

Detroit is already in a severe economic crisis, with more than $18 billion in total debt. But it turns out that the city has lost even more funds – more than $530,000 – due to government worker fraud. According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade: Sandra Campbell, 57, a former Detroit Public Schools contract accountant...

Detroit is already in a severe economic crisis, with more than $18 billion in total debt.

But it turns out that the city has lost even more funds – more than $530,000 – due to government worker fraud.

According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade:

Sandra Campbell, 57, a former Detroit Public Schools contract accountant and school board candidate, and her daughter, Domonique Campbell, 38, a Detroit Public Schools teacher, were convicted today by a federal jury in Detroit on charges of program fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and tax charges following a five-week jury trial, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

Between 2004 and 2008, Sandra Campbell and Domonique Campbell stole more than $530,000 from the Detroit Public Schools through a phony business. McQuade said “orders were placed with the Campbells’ sham company for books and educational materials never provided to the schools. Sandra Campbell and Domonique Campbell conspired to launder the fraud proceeds and to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and failed to report the money they fraudulently obtained from the Detroit Public Schools as income on their tax returns.”

The Campbells were convicted earlier this week by a federal jury in Detroit on charges of program fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and tax charges following a five-week jury trial. The jury returned its verdict after only one-and-a-half hours of deliberations.