A jury found former Carroll County school secretary Linda Sprinkle guilty Wednesday of stealing nearly $15,000 from Shiloh Middle School in Hampstead.
“Nobody saw her walk out the doors with fistfuls of cash, but the paper trail was there ? you just had to connect the dots,” said Melissa Hockensmith, a Carroll County prosecutor.
The decision was handed down after an eight-day trial and about seven hours of jury deliberation.
Sprinkle, 54, of Hanover, Pa., was convicted of 12 out of 14 charges, including embezzlement and felony theft scheme, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, Hockensmith said.
“Obviously we are very disappointed in the result, and we are exploring post-trial options,” said Brian DeLeonardo, Sprinkle?s attorney.
Working as the school?s financial secretary, Sprinkle took cash from school bank deposits from August 2003 to March 2004, according to court documents. The money was collected from school dances, book fairs, field trips and fundraisers, including a benefit for families of Sept. 11 victims.
The verdict marks the second time this year a Carroll County school secretary has been found guilty of stealing school funds. Wendy Sue Bowers, the former financial secretary of South Carroll High School, pleaded guilty in October to embezzling $206,564 raised through athletic events and fundraisers.
Both incidents have prompted Carroll County officials to tighten control of school finances, said Schools Superintendent Charles Ecker.
Starting Jan. 1, the school system will employ two full-time auditors and one part-time auditor who will make random checks on financial records.
Teachers also will be able to print receipts of the money put into school accounts.
“When it comes to finances … you have to assume everyone is crooked,” Ecker said.
Sprinkle?s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 22.
