
“I’m guilty, Your Honor,” is the anticipated plea Barbara Byrd-Bennett, ex-CEO of Chicago Public Schools, will deliver on Tuesday, October 13, 2015. The former head of the nation’s third-largest school district was indicted on 15 counts of mail fraud and five counts of wire fraud charges.
She’s been accused of funneling $2.3 million of no-bid contracts to two education companies that specialize in training principals and school administrators. The public’s money was earmarked for SUPES Academy and its subsidiary Synesi Associates LLC. Byrd-Bennett got a 10% kickback according to the prosecutor.
The Windy City’s top educator, who was appointed in 2012 by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to lead the school district, earned a salary of $250,000 a year, which obviously wasn’t enough to satisfy her lifestyle. She now faces up to 20 years maximum in prison for her vice and up to 400 years total. It’s alleged the ruse started that same year.
The co-accused are the companies’ owners, Gary Soloman, 47, and Thomas Vranas, 33. They have been charged with bribery, conspiracy to defraud, mail and wire fraud. They are scheduled to appear in court the following day.
The bribery scheme was uncovered in an email to her co-conspirator Solomon, that read in part, “I have tuition to pay and casinos to visit :)”
According to Chicago’s top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon, Byrd-Bennett is accused of “abusing her power to line her own pockets and those of her co-defendants.”
Her attorney replied saying, his client accepts “full responsibility for her conduct’ and she will ‘continue to cooperate with the government including testifying truthfully if called upon to do so.”