Joycelyn Wilson, principal of W.C. Williams Elementary School, and Judy Radcliff, the former principal of a Meridian elementary school, have been indicted on charges they conspired with three others to embezzle $170,000 in federal grants.
The nine-count indictment alleges a conspiracy to obtain funding from the Meridian school district occurred between March 2000 and January 2003.
The indictment claims Radcliff "would use her authority to submit false claims and cause her co-conspirators to be paid for services and goods that were never provided to the school."
Officials with the state Auditor's Office, the Meridian Public School District, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service held a press conference Monday in Jackson to announce the indictments.
Lester Fernandez, spokesman for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education, said the money involved was from federal reading excellence grants and Title I funds.
Only Radcliff was identified as having been associated with the Meridian school system.
The four others charged in the conspiracy were identified by name only - Sandra Grady, also known as Sandra Todd; Tammie Davis of Jackson; Carolyn Evans of Wiggins; and Wilson. Authorities declined to elaborate on their connection to Radcliff.
Wilson has been the principal of W.C. Williams since July. Prior to that time, she served as assistant principal at Greenwood Middle School.
Wilson did not respond to repeated phone messages since Monday.
Dr. Leslie Daniels, superintendent of the Greenwood Public School District, said he had no knowledge of the investigation and called Wilson a "good employee."
"I'm shocked," he said. Daniels said Wilson has worked for the district for two years.
Daniels said the district had no plans to take any action against Wilson in response to the indictment.
"This lady has not been proven guilty, has she? That's a question about something that has not happened. I have not thought about it," he said.
When asked if the investigation included the Greenwood school, State Auditor Phil Bryant declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
"We can't go into any more details of the investigation, but we will say we're looking into every possible avenue of the individuals to assure the taxpayers of Mississippi that this occurrence will not be tolerated," said Mick Bullock, of the state Auditor's Office.
John Compton, the Meridian school district's attorney, said Radcliff stepped down as principal at West End Elementary in February of 2003.
"The day the auditor's office came over to look at the information the district had, Mrs. Radcliff was brought in and at that time she chose to resign rather than going through some type of termination process," Compton said.
Compton said Radcliff had been an employee of the Meridian Public School District for more than eight years and worked with the Lauderdale County School District before then.
Radcliff did not immediately respond to messages left at her home.
Todd, of Todd and Associates Realty in Jackson, declined to comment.
A voice mailbox for Evans was full.
The penalties for each count of the indictment range from five to 20 years in prison and $250,000 to $500,000 in fines.
