A former Fairfax County Public Schools employee has pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Thomas Jefferson High School, the nation’s top-ranked public high school.
Susan Litwin, a 37-year-old Woodbridge resident, admitted Thursday in a federal court in Alexandria to stealing about $279,000 while working at Thomas Jefferson.
Litwin wrote checks to herself and made withdrawals from school bank accounts in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $35,000 more than 25 times, according to court documents related to the FBI’s investigation. Those transactions took place from March 2008 to January 2010.
FBI agents questioned Litwin on March 2, when she admitted swiping the cash to fuel an out-of-control gambling habit that took her from Las Vegas to Atlantic City, N.J. She also said she needed the money to pay off her credit card debt and mortgage.
Litwin was arrested and charged with embezzlement March 5. She had worked at the high school as a “finance technician” since early 2007.
Litwin worked with the school’s accounts related to student athletics, clubs and fundraising activities, according to Fairfax County Public Schools spokesman Paul Regnier.
Thomas Jefferson has been named the nation’s top public high school by U.S. News and World Report for the last three years.
Regnier said the school was working to “tighten up” its accounting practices in the wake of Litwin’s crimes.
“We’re taking measures to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Regnier said.
Litwin faces up to 10 years in prison.
