(KRON) — A former Mt. Diablo Unified College District (MDUSD) worker has been arrested and charged with mail fraud in connection to the theft of electronics that had been meant to go to colleges, the US District Lawyer’s Workplace stated.
Eric Rego, 39, now of El Dorado Hills, was MDUSD’s program coordinator. In line with an indictment, Rego used college district funds to purchase digital units, bought them, and stored the cash for himself.
MDUSD’s after-school program was accessible for college students from kindergarten by means of twelfth grade. It was free for college students, being funded by means of state grants.
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Rego labored with a nonprofit to run this system. From July 2020 by means of Might 2024, he purchased iPads, MacBooks, GoPros and extra by means of the nonprofit, the DOJ stated.
He instructed the nonprofit that the units would go to college students however allegedly as an alternative stored them for himself earlier than promoting them.
MDUSD confirmed the arrest, saying that it found “financial misconduct” and filed a report with the Harmony Police Division. An inside evaluation found that units had been purchased however by no means delivered to colleges.
“Educating our children is our most pressing priority,” stated Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark. “Anyone who attempts to misuse funds intended for the education of our students will be held accountable. We are committed to full transparency and will continue to take decisive action to safeguard public resources and protect the integrity of our programs.”
Rego instructed a nonprofit worker to incorporate the electronics in an bill after which authorized the invoices himself. In whole, he used college bills to purchase about $3.3 million price of things, the DOJ stated.
Rego was charged with three counts of mail fraud. If he’s confirmed responsible, he’ll face a most sentence of 20 years in jail.