Glendale Union High School District—Theft and Misuse of Public Monies

As part of its responsibility to prevent and detect fraud, the Glendale Union High School District (District) took appropriate action by reporting a fraud allegation to our Office. Consequently, we conducted an investigation revealing that from November 2008 to April 2010, Shannon May, former bookstore manager at Independence High School, may have violated state laws related to theft, misuse of public monies, fraud schemes, and forgery when she embezzled $70,382 of bookstore receipts that should have benefited students. Specifically, Ms. May deposited in district bank accounts only a portion of receipts collected at the bookstore. Although there were no records to indicate how she used the more than $70,000 she embezzled, Ms. May deposited in her own bank accounts $38,210 of cash. Ms. May abused her authority as the bookstore manager and took advantage of the District’s lack of oversight and inadequate controls over bookstore receipts.

On February 18, 2015, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office presented evidence of Ms. May’s alleged crimes to the State Grand Jury, resulting in her indictment on five felony counts.