The trial of Brenda Palmer, a former interim chief financial officer at Montgomery Public School (MPS) System allegedly involved in a scheme to steal over $300,000 in taxpayer funds, will begin on November 7.
According to court documents, Palmer pleaded not guilty on July 8 in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced her arrest in November 2021. Palmer, 68, of Montgomery, was charged with violating the state ethics law and lying to an investigator of the Attorney General's Office. She surrendered to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and is currently out on bond.
Palmer is charged with one count of using her official position for personal gain and one count of providing a false statement to an investigator with the Attorney General's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Attorney General Marshall's Special Investigations Division.
Specifically, the warrant alleges that Palmer used her position as interim Chief School Financial Officer at MPS to perpetrate a false invoicing scheme in which she and her accomplices stole $314,867.56 from the school system.
When questioned by investigators with the Attorney General's Office about her involvement with the false invoicing scheme, Palmer lied and denied any knowledge of the scheme, according to Marshall.
Palmer Documents by Caleb Taylor on Scribd
According to court documents, Walter James, another former MPS employee who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama in Aug. 2021 over his involvement in the invoice theft scheme at MPS, will be called as a witness against Palmer if the case goes to trial in November.
James is currently serving a five-year sentence at Federal Correctional Institution in Jesup, Georgia.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), court documents and testimony provided in open court showed that James held himself out to be the owner of a consulting company, "ED-ONE Professional Development Services." At the same time, he was employed by the MPS system.
He then partnered with others at his high school and the MPS central office to submit fraudulent invoices for consulting or professional development services, according to the DOJ.
According to the DOJ, James' scheme, which occurred from August 2016 to April 2019, created a loss of $314,867 for MPS taxpayers.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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