Jimika Williams, Embezzlement & Wire Fraud, Florida 2023

A former charter school board president has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for embezzling federal funds in Florida.

Jimika Williams, also known as Jimika Mason, was convicted in March of two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and 18 counts of wire fraud.

According to court records, Williams was the president of Advancement of Education in Scholars Corporation (AESC), a Florida non-profit that operated Paramount Charter School (PCS) located in Broward County.

PCS received federal funding through Title 1, which is only paid to a school if more than 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced cost lunches. PCS also received state funding, paid through the School Board of Broward County.

The trial evidence established that Williams was the president of another Florida corporation, Florida Scholars Educational Services Corporation (FSESC).

Between 2015 and June 2017, Williams unlawfully made payments to herself from AESC's business account totaling nearly $390,000. This money's intended use was to operate PCS. Instead, the funds were transferred/deposited into an FSESC account and used for Williams' personal purchases, which included vehicle payments, a private school, rent, and other personal expenses.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Juan Antonio Gonzalez, announced the sentence, along with FBI Miami and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Southeastern Regional Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia Wood and Eric Morales prosecuted the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-charter-school-board-president-sentenced-40-months-prison-embezzlement-and-wire