Former School Business Official and Treasurer of the Carterville School District Charged with Embezzling Funds

Todd Ryan Frazier, 30, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was indicted by a grand jury and charged in a 16-count ndictment with

• counts 1—3, embezzlement and theft from the Carterville School District—a unit of local government that received federal funds;
• counts 4—13, wire fraud in furtherance of a scheme to defraud the Carterville School District;
• count 14, false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
• count 15, attempting to access a computer of a financial institution without authorization;
• count 16, uttering a forged check of the Carterville School District, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The offenses each carry a total statutory maximum sentence of up to 250 years in prison, a fine of up to $3,400,000 and mandatory restitution.

The indictment alleges that Todd Ryan Frazier, from August 2008 and continuing through February 2012, engaged in a scheme to defraud the Carterville School District, Unit 5, in Williamson County, Illinois, while he was the School Business Official which included the duties and responsibilities to act as the treasurer and payroll officer for the district. The indictment further alleges that Todd Ryan Frazier lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during its investigation when he stated that he had not stolen money from the Carterville School District, nor did he make any false entries into Carterville School District’s payroll system.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.