FBI: Former Tulsa School Administrator Accused of Embezzling Thousands From District
News 6 - June 1, 2023 6:33 am
TULSA, Okla. –
The FBI has filed new court documents accusing a former Tulsa Public Schools administrator and his family members of misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the district.
Agents said Devin Fletcher arranged for the district to pay his half-sister thousands for work that didn’t happen, then the money was wired to other accounts.
The district originally said last year roughly $20,000 was missing, but then said that number could be much higher. Court documents show the FBI seized more than $216,000 from two bank accounts linked to Fletcher and his mom.
Tulsa Public Schools hired Fletcher as Chief Learning Officer in 2016. He resigned last July.
The FBI said between August 2018 and June 2021, the district paid more than $343,000 directly to S. Monee Kemp for consulting services.
Two more payments totaling another $105,000 were made to the sister from the Foundation for Tulsa Schools, a charity supporting the district. Kemp was contracted to provide services through a business called “Talented 10th.”
However, TPS said it has not been able to find any work to support the payments.
The district said it learned after the investigation that S. Monee Kemp is actually Shanequa Kemp, the half-sister of Fletcher.
Investigators said there is no record that the “Talented 10th” is even a real business. The FBI said the money deposited by the district to the sister’s account was then wired to other accounts.
Documents show from January 2020 to April 2022, more than $280,000 was transferred to a separate account the sister had access to.
Investigators said a check for $245,000 was taken from that account and deposited into a third account belonging to Devin Fletcher’s mother.
Just days after that transfer, documents show more than $144,000 was wired into an account belonging to Fletcher himself.
The FBI said it got a warrant to seize nearly $105,000 and more than $111,000 from Fletcher and his mom’s accounts.
Tulsa Public Schools released this statement to News On 6: “We are deeply grateful to law enforcement officials who have recovered a portion of the funds stolen from our schools. Since we reported our initial findings to officials nearly a year ago, we have worked closely to share additional evidence from our internal reviews. This action gives us encouragement that a resolution for our community is underway, and we are confident that justice will be served. Our primary focus is on seeking accountability and taking decisive action, and Tulsa Public Schools remains committed to transparency and integrity.”
No criminal charges have been filed yet.