Steal $1 million and Dallas ISD will pay you $65,000 in severance pay. It’s a scam and a shame.
We could not write it any better – Dallas Morning News reporter Scott Parks penned a news article which ran last week on a school district which continues to be the “poster child” for what can go wrong with a monopoly school system.
“Ruben Bohuchot lived like "a rock star" during his five years as Dallas ISD's chief technology officer, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday. In January, he will report to a federal penitentiary and start living like an inmate.
“U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay sentenced Mr. Bohuchot to 11 years in prison for participating in an elaborate bribery and money-laundering scheme involving lucrative computer contracts. Mr. Bohuchot showed no emotion as the judge announced the sentence and chastised him for his crimes.
"In doing this, somewhere along the road, something went bad," Judge Lindsay said.
“Federal investigators calculated that Mr. Bohuchot took almost $1 million in illegal gifts, gratuities and cash payments from Houston computer vendor Frankie Wong. In return, Mr. Bohuchot made sure that Micro System Enterprises, Mr. Wong's company, won two contracts to supply computers and other technology services to the school district for more than $120 million.
“The most sensational aspect of the bribery scheme involved two deep-sea fishing yachts named "Sir Veza" and "Sir Veza II." Testimony during Mr. Bohuchot's three-week trial last summer showed that Mr. Wong purchased the 46-foot "Sir Veza" for $305,000. After Mr. Wong won a second big DISD contract, he bought the 58-foot "Sir Veza II" for $800,000.
“Mr. Bohuchot, an avid fisherman, named the boats and controlled their use, according to testimony.”
At Americans for Prosperity, we were well aware of the allegations even before they hit the news as at one of our grassroots training sessions in Dallas, an activist had met with and shared much of this information with us.
Certainly, DISD is a poster child for what is wrong with public education. We’d like to think this is unusual, but fear that with as much money as is spent on public education, there are likely many other abuses.
It is important to note that the Dallas Morning News may be largely responsible for the investigation which lead to conviction. Their investigative reporting first challenged a trip the DISD official took aboard the computer company’s yacht.
It is important to note that, in typical style of school districts, the financial officer who stole at least $1 million from ISD was put on paid leave for 8 months then received a $65,000 “buyout package.” His salary is $143,492. So again, a school district pays one of their own (a thief). It’s a scam and a shame. Taxpayers, students and parents deserve better.
Read the full article here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/111308dnmetbriberysentence.4a3707f.html
-- Peggy Venable, AFP-Texas director
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