[BreachExchange] Former Alabama superintendent pleads guilty to pocketing cash from state in identity fraud case

[Terrell Byrd]

https://www.cbs42.com/news/crime/former-alabama-superintendent-pleads-guilty-to-pocketing-cash-from-state-in-identity-fraud-case/


MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WRBL) – One Montgomery resident and former school
superintendent has pleaded guilty to sharing false data with the Alabama
State Department of Education in order to receive additional funding.

William L. Holladay III, 57, pleaded guilty Thursday to his part in a
scheme that conspired with others to defraud the ALSDE by providing
falsified records.

According to court documents, Holladay turned in incorrect data to ALSDE
inflating the number of students that are enrolled in public virtual
schools.

The students’ identities were falsified to appear as though they were
attending online public school, when in reality they were actually
attending private schools in varying parts of the state.

The students’ identities that were stolen continued to attend private
schools, participate in private school athletics, and parents paid tuition
to the private schools.

Holladay was the superintendent of Athens City Schools System until October
2020. He conspired several co-defendants including one superintendent of
neighboring school system, Limestone County Schools system, Thomas Michael
Sisk.

Other co-defendants include William Richard Carter, Jr., Gregory Earl
Corkren, and David Webb Tutt.

Co-defendants agreed to falsify their records and increase the number of
students enrolled in the school system to obtain additional funding and
payments from Alabama’s Education Trust Fund. The money would be taken for
personal use.

Holladay and co-defendants bartered with the private schools in order to
obtain students information to file with ALSDE.

Some of the promised items included:

laptop computers
access to online curriculum
standardized testing
monetary payments
Holladay is waiting to be sentenced, he is expected to face a maximum
five-year sentence paired with monetary penalties.

Co-defendant William Richard Carter, Jr. has a trial date of Feb. 7, 2022.

Other co-defendants Gregory Earl Corkren, David Webb Tutt, and Thomas
Michael Sisk, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the
government. In addition, co-defendant Gregory Corken pleaded guilty to
aggravated identity theft.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and
the United States Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross, Alice S. LaCour, and
Brett J. Talley are prosecuting the case.
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