Former ODE accountant charged
By JULIA SILVERMAN
Associated Press
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 12:22 PM PST
SALEM — A former accountant at the Oregon Department of Education is facing federal fraud charges after embezzling nearly $1 million intended for charter schools, anti-drug youth initiatives and school-based health programs, according to documents filed late last week in U.S. District court.
Brent Crosson, who was fired from his job as the department’s director of accounting services last August, diverted $925,000 to CGA Wholesale, an online guns and ammunition dealer that he controlled, according to the court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
So far, federal investigators have recovered $750,000 of the money, and expect to recover the rest, according to Deputy Schools Superintendent Ed Dennis.
Crosson, 36, seems likely to accept a plea deal, officials at the Department of Education said. His attorney, Paul Ferder of Salem, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
‘’I am neither judge nor jury, but if Mr. Crosson is convicted, I hope the penalty is severe,’’ said State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. ‘’To say that the acts alleged in the complaint are reprehensible understates how appalling I find this.’’
The Crosson case surfaced just months after Fred Monem, the former food services administrator for the Oregon Department of Corrections was indicted on charges of conspiracy, fraud, bribery and money laundering. The two cases have raised questions about the vulnerability of accounting procedures in other state agencies; the Department of Administrative Services has launched a full review of the education agency’s system.
According to the charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office, Crosson used his knowledge of the education agency’s accounting procedures to issue payments to CGA Wholesale, then transferred funds from the online company’s accounts to his personal accounts.
