Former Metro Detroit school principal pleads guilty to embezzlement
(CBS DETROIT) - A former Wyandotte elementary school principal accused of embezzling more than $89,000 of school funds has pleaded guilty.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Krizia Allen, 38, of West Bloomfield, pleaded to one count of theft from a federally funded program. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10.
Federal prosecutors said that between June 2018 and February 2023, Allen, a principal at Garfield Elementary School, stole about $89,312 by using the funds for her personal use.
Officials said Allen funneled more than $24,000 through a corporate entity and used the money to pay for rent and food and make ATM withdrawals. She also used a school credit card to purchase items on Amazon and transferred more than $50,000 into her PayPal account.
To conceal the theft, Allen submitted false business invoices and receipts of school-related purchases to the finance department.
Federal officials said the school administration became aware of Allen's alleged theft in February 2023 and terminated her employment. An investigation revealed that on the day she was let go, Allen searched online for "embezzlement" and "minimum for fraud."
"Krizia Allen stole tens of thousands of dollars of public funds intended to benefit its students. Every dollar Ms. Allen misappropriated for her own personal gain deprived the students and teachers of Garfield Elementary of the financial resources needed to ensure that each child at Garfield received a proper education," U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. "My office takes theft from such federally funded educational programs very seriously, and we will continue to bring those who steal from these programs to justice."