Ex-River Rouge Schools Exec Gets 5-Year Sentence
RIVER ROUGE (WWJ/AP) - A former River Rouge school official has been sentenced to five years in prison for a bribery and mail fraud scheme that cost the district $160,000.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman sentenced 53-year-old Dolores Reid, of Southfield, on Wednesday. A jury convicted her Nov. 15 after a two-day trial.
Reid, who was the director of state and federal programs for River Rouge schools, was accused of accepting thousands of dollars in cash for giving preferential treatment to a company that provided tutoring services under the No Child Left Behind Act.
She was accused of falsely telling parents of students entering River Rouge High School that the program was mandatory. The company then received federal funds through the Michigan Department of Education, which subsequently recaptured the funds, leaving the school district with a loss of approximately $160,000.
"Corruption by public officials is never acceptable, but it is particularly egregious when an official steals money intended for the education of school children," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. "Stealing education funds robs children of their future."
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Education -- Office of Inspector General, and the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
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