A former Prince George’s County schools superintendent convicted on public corruption charges was sentenced to six years in federal prison Tuesday.
The six years were less than half the 15 years prosecutors wanted, but federal authorities still hailed as a victory Andre J. Hornsby’s July conviction on six of the 22 counts against him.
Hornsby, 55, was convicted of fraud, evidence tampering and obstructing justice. It was the second time the case was tried; a jury late last year couldn’t reach a verdict.
“Mr. Hornsby exploited his position… for his own personal financial gain which came at the expense of the children he was entrusted to serve,” said Amy Jo Lyons, who heads the Baltimore FBI Field Office.
During the trial, prosecutors showed a video of Hornsby receiving what the FBI said was a $1,000 deposit on a $145,000 kickback for brokering an overpriced school contract.
Prosecutors also said Hornsby was set to receive $10,000 on a different $956,280 contract, which comprised half the commission his girlfriend would win by landing the deal with the county school system.
When the FBI opened an investigation into the contracts in 2004, Hornsby lied to a private consulting firm hired by the government to conduct an outside audit in an effort to conceal the kickbacks. He also told county school employees to destroy backup computer files of his and other employees’ e-mails.
In a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Peter J. Messitte, Hornsby said authorities exaggerated his role in the scheme.
In the letter, Hornsby wrote that although the conviction would likely end his career as an educator, “it should not end what I have to offer to society.”
Hornsby assumed his role in 2003, promising to bring change to the troubled system. He resigned in 2005 amid the accusations surrounding the contracts and kickback scheme.
