Jessica Masulli Reyes

The News Journal

A former charter school administrator has pleaded guilty for embezzling $161,871 from the Family Foundations Academy in New Castle, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Delaware.

Sean Moore, 43, entered the plea to three counts of federal program theft before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews. He is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in March.

Authorities alleged in court filings and statements in court that the New Castle resident embezzled the money between July 2011 and January 2015 while he was serving as the director of finance and operations for the charter school.

Moore did so by charging personal expenses to an unauthorized credit card he opened in the school's name and by stealing money from the school's fundraising account, which consisted of money collected from the students' parents, local sponsors and an after-school program, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

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Moore also abused the state's voucher program, which reimburses charter schools for qualified expenses, and the state's procurement card system, which allows charter school administrators to purchase necessary school supplies on state-issued credit cards, the office said.

Moore also took money from the school's construction loan account, the office said.

He then used the embezzled money for personal expenses, such as retail purchases, home improvement purchases, electronics, auto loan payments, auto services and accessories, federal tax payments, groceries, entertainment, food, gas, travel, gifts and collectibles, shoes, hotels, jewelry, train tickets and video games, the authorities said.

The theft from federal program charge is based on the fact that Family Foundations Academy received significant federal funding during that time.

The case stems from an audit of the school in 2014 that examined charges on school-owned credit cards held by Moore and Tennell Brewington, the school's founder and chief academic officer.

Soon after the Family Foundations Academy audit was released, the school board fired Moore and Brewington and essentially dissolved the leadership structure and contracted with Eastside Charter School in Wilmington to oversee operations. Since then, the two schools have operated with shared leadership out of a central office.

Brewington, 46, was arrested last week and charged with two counts of theft greater than $1,500, two counts of unlawful use of a credit card greater than $1,500, one count of unlawful use of a payment card less than $1,500 and one count of official misconduct. She is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 9.

Contact Jessica Masulli Reyes at 302-324-2777, jmreyes@delawareonline.com or Twitter @JessicaMasulli.