Noel - Too bad this guy didn't heed your warning.

Georgie · ‎08-31-2010

Records: Money from failed North Naples school for kids with disabilities went to Nigeria

By KATHERINE ALBERS

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

NAPLES — Parents who want to know what happened to the tuition they sent to the Journey’s Academy before the North Naples school abruptly shut down in 2009 now have their answer.

A good portion of the money, which led to the arrest of former Chief Financial Officer Larry Christopher in October on federal charges of wire fraud, went to Nigeria, according to documents obtained by the Daily News from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Records show that while some of the money went for expenditures such as gas, groceries, shopping, luxury items and checks to family members and employees, there were 24 wire transfers of money sent to two individuals — Lucky Ogiame and David Nwolu — at various banks in Nigeria, each between $1,000 and $4,000.

On the Internet, there are various entries for both of those names tied to reports of a scam.

In the records obtained by the newspaper, there are about two dozen listings of money transfers such as these:

¦ “March 18, 2009 - A debit from Larry’s account to Walmart in the amount of $2,050. According to MoneyGram’s records, a wire was made from Larry Christopher in the amount of $2,500 to Lucky Ogiame at the Union Bank of Nigeria in Enugu, Nigeria.”

¦ “April 13, 2009 - A debit from Larry’s account to Walmart in the amount of $4,080. According to MoneyGram’s records, a wire was made from Larry Christopher in the amount of $4,000 to Lucky Ogiame at the Equitorial Trust Bank in Okota, Nigeria.”

CLICK HERE FOR One of the Internet sites tied to the name Lucky Ogiame

CLICK HERE FOR One of the Internet sites tied to the name David Nwolu

Though Christopher was indicted and scheduled to go to trial on charges in February, the former principal of the now-defunct Journeys Academy died Dec. 5. He was 55.

Investigators said Christopher misappropriated about $350,000 from the former Journey’s Academy, 10641 Airport-Pulling Road N. The school’s students included many with disabilities.

The investigation determined that Christopher embezzled the money while he was employed at the academy as its chief financial officer and principal.

The criminal charges were lodged following a year-long investigation by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service. The State Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Naples also assisted with the investigation.

According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers, Christopher, in his capacity as the financial manager for the school, had access to the money on deposit in the school’s bank account at RBC Bank.

Christopher created false documents and used various means of identification associated with the school to obtain money from the account, according to the indictment. Christopher opened another account in the name of Journey’s Academy at Liberty Bank, for which he was the only signatory on the account, according to court documents.

Christopher conducted unauthorized wire transfers of money from the accounts at RBC Bank and Liberty Bank, according to the indictment. Christopher then withdrew and transferred the money to himself, in excess of $300,000, according to the indictment.

Christopher made eight transfers between the two banks of between $4,500 and $80,000 between March 10, 2009, and May 27, 2009, according to the indictment.

Loren Hoffman, the founder of Journey’s Academy, reported the suspected theft in August 2009.

According to documents obtained from the Sheriff’s Office, detectives reviewed the financial records of Christopher; his wife, Janice; and his mother-in-law, among others. Detectives found that deposits were made to the accounts, including $69,135 to Janice Christopher’s account from the Journey’s accounts. The checks received in Janice Christopher’s name were marked “loan repayment,” “expense reimbursement,” “art program” and “payroll reimbursement,” among others, according to the documents.

Hoffman told detectives that he believed Janice Christopher volunteered at the school on Wednesdays to teach an art class and that she didn’t receive a paycheck.

Some of the money then was transferred from Janice Christopher’s account to other accounts, including Larry Christopher’s account, according to the investigative documents.

Attempts to reach Janice Christopher for this story were unsuccessful. She hasn’t been charged with a crime.

State incorporation papers for Journeys Academy Inc. were filed in October 2008, listing Hoffman as president, Larry Christopher as vice president and Janice Christopher as a director along with Clay Vaughn of Naples and Jon Biffar of Cape Coral.

In July 2009, parents of Journeys students received an e-mail from Hoffman saying the school wouldn’t open for the 2009-10 school year.

“Dear parents, Larry Christopher is no longer working for Journeys Academy. No further information can be given while this case is under investigation by the authorities. Consequently, and unfortunately, Journeys Academy will be closed for this 2009-2010 school year. For McKay participants, please contact your district representative for directions,” reads the letter, signed by Hoffman for the corporation.

McKay scholarships are for students with disabilities and provide families with state money to allow those children to attend private schools.

Larry Christopher was released on $50,000 bond after his arrest, according to court documents.

It wasn’t Christopher’s first run-in with the law.

In September 2002, Larry Christopher was fired from Golden Gate Middle School because he didn’t disclose that he’d been convicted of four felony mail fraud charges and sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of probation. A federal judge also had ordered him to repay his victims $1.5 million. A $1.573 million lien, with 1.81 percent interest, against him is filed in Collier County.

School officials were unaware of the indictment and conviction because he was hired as a substitute teacher in October 2001, indicted less than two months later and didn’t disclose it.

He was tried and convicted in May 2002, sentenced in July 2004 and appealed. He lost his appeal a year later, appealed again to a higher court, but was denied a hearing and ordered to serve his sentence. He surrendered at a prison in Maxwell, Ala., in December 2005, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons records, which also show he was released on Nov. 9, 2007.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also was looking to revoke Christopher’s supervised release on his Ohio conviction based on the pending charge of wire fraud, according to court documents. That hearing was set to take place in about a week, on Jan. 10.

Attempts to reach the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment on the case were unsuccessful.

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Staff writer Aisling Swift contributed to this report.

__ Connect with Katherine Albers at www.naplesnews.com/staff/katherine-albers/.