Two Fairfax County Public School employees, one an Annandale middle school principal and the other an administrative employee at Falls Chuch’s J.E.B. Stuart High School, were charged with embezzlement and money laundering today.
After a joint investigation by Financial Crimes Unit detectives from Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public School human resources, the employees, Poe Middle School principal Sonya Swansbrough, 46, of Woodbridge, and Bethany Speed, 38, of Burke, an administrative employee at Stuart, were charged with the crimes.
Police say they began an investigation after being contacted by Fairfax Co. Schools after “internal processes brought the issues to light” in late September 2013. The allegations involved falsifying timesheets for personal financial gain in incidents that began as early as May 2010. Officials believe over $100,000 may have been embezzled.
According to a letter sent to parents of students at Annadale’s Poe Middle School, Speed was the former finance technician for Swansbrough at the middle school.
Police also charged a third individual, Brenton Rusnak, 20, of Radford with receiving stolen property in connection to this case. Rusnak is Swansbrough’s son.
The investigation is ongoing.
