MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Arlington High School employee has pleaded guilty to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the school.
Toni Cox pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling $142,307.98 from several school activity funds. The 49-year-old will be required to pay restitution.
Cox faces either an eight-year prison sentence with a possibility of immediate probation or a 12-year sentence served under Community Corrections, which “was created to divert felony offenders from the Tennessee prison system and to provide necessary supervision and services to the offenders.”
If she chooses Community Corrections and violates any conditions, she may be resentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The Tennessee State Comptroller discovered the missing money during an audit. Prosecutors say between July 2008 and June 2010, Cox altered records and pocketed cash before it even hit the books.
The audit said the “former principal failed to review supporting documentation prior to signing checks, resulting in numerous questionable and unsupported disbursements” and “…to conceal the misappropriation, Ms. Cox altered, discarded, or destroyed school records…and she substituted unrecorded checks issued to the school for cash collections she withheld for her personal use.”
Auditors say Cox stole money from nearly every school organization, activity, and fee, including sporting events, educational field trips, Advanced Placement testing, yearbooks, graduations, proms, and other student functions.
Shelby County Schools released the following statement in January 2014: “This employee resigned in May 2010. Since then, the administration of Arlington High School has instituted multiple measures to safeguard the school from any such situations.”
Cox had access to all the school’s money, and prosecutors say she did what she wanted with it.
“Situations like that, people have been given trust,” DA Amy Weirich said. “It causes all of us concern.”