BIE Employee Convicted for Embezzling Funds

OIG initiated this investigation after receiving information from the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) that Wilma Garcia, the business technician at BIE’s San Simon Elementary School (SSES) in Sells, AZ, issued checks on SSES accounts to various members of her family. 
 

Our investigation revealed that between December 2014 and February 2016, Garcia embezzled $24,031.99 from BIE. We found that Garcia fraudulently issued multiple checks on SSES accounts to her family members and then cashed them. Garcia admitted to the theft and said she used most of the funds to cover everyday living expenses. During the investigation Garcia was remorseful and admitted responsibility. 
 

Garcia pled guilty to one count of theft in U.S. District Court in Tucson, AZ, and was sentenced to probation for 5 years and ordered to repay $24,031.99 in restitution. Garcia resigned from her position the day after her interview.
 

During the course of our investigation, a SSES senior school official admitted he allowed Garcia to violate BIE finance policy on at least two occasions, neither of which were related to the theft. We referred our findings related to the senior school official to BIE. 
 

This is a summary of a report that was issued to BIE.