Insincere apology nets embezzler jail time

Apology?

Here is the text of Carr’s letter:

Dear BJF (sic) community: I want to apologize that through all of my efforts, energy, and excitement to make our students, teachers, staff and school a greater place, and extend programs to the children, my inability to keep accurate records was not acceptable. I want all of you to know our children were, and will always be, the first priority in anything I was asked to do or to help with. I have learned through this situation that being a volunteer is an important responsibility. I believe that not only have I learned as a person what to do or not to do, but our organization has created some finer guidelines for those of us who want to help our children and our school. Please accept my apology for my inaccuracies while trying to help.

Sincerely,

Julie Ann Carr.

Shawnee ? Johnson County District Judge Steve Leben paused for several moments on Friday.

He had much to consider.

Julie Ann Carr, of Shawnee, had pleaded guilty to stealing more than $38,000 from Bluejacket-Flint Elementary School PTA, yet in a letter of apology to students at the school, she didn’t fully admit her guilt.

And two days before, she had shown up in court without the $21,000 she still owed the PTA. When she left to get it, she didn’t come back.

On Friday, Leben sentenced Carr to 12 months of probation for one count of a felony theft, as recommended in her plea agreement. Then, the judge added 30 days of jail time.

Before her plea in March, Carr had returned $17,060 to the PTA. As a condition of her plea, Carr was to repay the remaining $21,348 and write a letter of apology to the children of Bluejacket-Flint.

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, Carr appeared for sentencing but said she had left her purse – with the check – at a nearby Price Chopper.

Leben allowed Carr to leave court to retrieve the check, asking that she return by 4:15 p.m.

When she wasn’t back by 4:40 p.m., Leben issued a bench warrant for her arrest. Carr’s attorney, Paul Cramm, said she called saying she was stuck in traffic.

She turned herself into the Johnson County Sheriff the following day and posted $25,000 bond.

Tanda Castle, PTA president, told the court the theft has affected the school and the community.

“I feel that because of what happened, our reputation at Bluejacket-Flint has been greatly tarnished,” Castle said. “It’s really undermined the trust the community has in our school.”

Both prosecuting attorney Stephen Maxwell and Leben found Carr’s letter of apology lacking, saying it apologized for bad record-keeping rather than for stealing.

“Her letter makes it sound more like she is in line for a citizenship award than someone who has committed a theft,” Leben said.