Breaking: @mcps Former Asst. Dir. of Transportation Charles Ewald Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Theft & Abuse of Position. Bought Vaca Condo w/ MCPS $$$$.

Count 1 (Theft):  15 years incarceration with all but 5 years suspended.

Count 2 (Abuse of Position) 5 years of incarceration.

Notes from today's sentencing: 

MCPS former Assistant Director of Transportation Charles Ewald was sentenced today to spend the next 5 years in prison for his theft of MCPS funds and for his abuse of his position in MCPS. 

At today's sentencing the public learned that along with all of the other things that had been reported as to how Mr. Ewald used the funds he stole from MCPS he used the funds to purchase a vacation condo in North Carolina along with luxury vehicles.

As of today, Mr. Ewald has written a check to MCPS for $250,000 in restitution for some of the funds that were stolen.  

The scheme went on for 5 years until a MCPS audit discovered credit card abuse and then the embezzlement.  

The prosecutor said that Mr. Ewald received 35 checks over the years from the school bus vendor in the embezzlement scheme. 

The prosecutor said that Mr. Ewald's SUPERVISOR (that would have been Todd Watkins) established the slush fund and Mr. Ewald took over the slush fund.  Mr. Ewald didn't just use the slush fund to line his pockets, he used it to circumvent the rules. 

The abuse of the MCPS credit cards was a whole separate scheme.  Mr. Ewald had 110 transactions over the $500 per purchase limit.  

Mr. Ewald charged $313,000 on the MCPS credit card which was nearly half of all the department charges.  

MCPS General Counsel Stephanie Williams was in the courtroom. (Note:  MCPS staff never show up for child abuse cases.)

The Judge made a statement and said that the actions of Mr. Ewald were an enormous breach of trust and impact the way people look at MCPS and our government.  His actions lead to cynical talk about government and hurt our community. 

Transportation Official Used MCPS Money to Pay for Cars, Furniture, Landscaping

Charles Ewald, the former Assistant Director of Transportation for Montgomery Public Schools, set up a system to divert funds from MCPS to himself. When a bus vendor placed late and change fees owed to the school district they went into a separate account. Those funds were then available to Ewald for his personal use, according to court documents.

Ewald stole more than $320,000 “through misuse of his school system issued purchasing card and fabricated requests for reimbursement from money owed by a vendor to the school system” beginning in 2016 through the fall of 2021, when he was suspended.

A purchasing card is a credit card with the individual employee’s name on it, but MCPS is responsible for paying the debt.

According to his plea agreement, there was a spending limit of $500 per purchase card transaction. Ewald ran over that limit 80% of the time...

Transportation Official Used MCPS Money to Pay for Cars, Furniture, Landscaping - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Former School Transportation Director Charged With Misconduct in Office

Todd Watkins, a former director of transportation for Montgomery County Public Schools, has been charged with misconduct in office.

A pre-indictment plea is set for Friday at 11 a.m.

According to court records, his alleged offense dates back to 2016.

Former MCPS Assistant Director of Transportation Charles Ewald pleaded guilty May 18 to a theft scheme involving more than $100,000 and misconduct in office. He will be sentenced Sept. 6 in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Ewald, along with Watkins, have been under investigation for using almost $600,000 of MCPS funds for their personal use...

Former School Transportation Director Charged With Misconduct in Office - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Two Apple Ballot Candidates Refuse to Attend Candidate Debate

Two of the Apple Ballot (MCEA) endorsed Board of Education candidates in the upcoming election have refused to participate in a candidate's forum sponsored by 6 different groups.  

The Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, MD is one of the sponsors of the forum that will be held on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 7 PM on Zoom. 

Each sponsoring organization has prepared questions for the candidates and all of the candidates have received the questions in advance.  

Here are the questions that the Parents' Coalition has presented to the candidates.  

Questions from Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, MD:

1.  The Appellate Court of Maryland has Ordered the Montgomery County Board of Education to review the HET MCPS, LLC electric school bus contract in light of the fact that two of the MCPS Department of Transportation Directors who were integrally involved in the electric school bus bidding process awarded the contract to an affiliate of the company they were receiving kickbacks from. 

[MCPS' Todd Watkins and Charles Ewald awarded the electric school bus contract to Highland.  Highland's proposal had American Truck & Bus as a subcontractor.  Watkins and Ewald were engaged in an embezzlement scheme with American Truck & Bus. After the contract was awarded to Highland, MCPS allowed Highland to create a new company called HET MCPS, LLC and MCPS wrote the contract to HET MCPS, LLC, even though they never bid on the proposal. American Truck & Bus remained as a subcontractor on the contract.]

The Montgomery County Board of Education has refused to review the HET MCPS, LLC contract despite the Mandate from the Appellate Court of Maryland.

What kind of example does this set for public school students? 

 See:  In the Matter of AutoFlex Fleet, Inc., No. 0539, September Term 2022. Opinion by Zic, J.  This opinion is a public document from a court that held proceedings in public courtrooms.  This case is not confidential, it is not a secret and no one is prohibited from discussing this public proceeding.  

2.  The Montgomery County Board of Education paid $168,380 for a comprehensive review of the MCPS Department of Transportation.  But when the review was completed by CESO (over 80 pages) the report was shelved and never presented to the Board of Education or made public.  The Parents' Coalition made the report public.  

The CESO report reveals that MCPS Fleet Maintenance workers are in imminent danger of being crushed or electrocuted because the repair bays are not designed for the heavier electric school buses.  Electric school bus repairs risk danger of electrocution or lift collapse if bays are not set up appropriately.  

Would you support an independent, dedicated Office of Inspector General to focus exclusively on Montgomery County Public Schools so that when reports are hidden and staff are in danger of death or injury there would be someone to speak up and alert the public to fraud, waste, and abuse of public funds, and of dangers to staff and students?  

Two MCPS administrators on leave as police investigate 'possible financial improprieties'

by Kevin Lewis, Montgomery County Reporter (7News)Tuesday, November 16th 2021

DERWOOD, Md. (7News) — Montgomery County Public Schools has placed two management-level employees on leave after being made aware of "possible financial improprieties."

The school system has confirmed Department of Transportation Director Todd Watkins and DOT Assistant Director Charles Ewald are both on administrative leave. MCPS declined to clarify when it placed Watkins and Ewald on leave and if it continues to pay both of them...

https://wjla.com/news/local/two-mcps-administrators-on-leave-as-police-investigate-possible-financial-improprieties

ABC7: Furniture, headphones, tires: OIG finds $133k in illicit spending from MCPS DOT employee

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Charles Ewald was second in charge of MCPS' Department of Transportation.

The division has 1,800 employees and an annual budget of $120 million.

Last fall, Montgomery County's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) dug into Ewald's MCPS charge card statements and found $133,000 in prohibited spending...

Furniture, headphones, tires: OIG finds $133k in illicit spending from MCPS DOT employee | WJLA

ABC7 - Montgomery Co. Police: "active and ongoing investigation" @mcps @mocoboe

 ..."Our Financial Crimes Section is investigating Todd Watkins and Charles Ewald. This is an active and ongoing investigation. No one has been cleared or charged in this investigation," said Ofc. Cortes, Public Information Office, Montgomery County Department of Police...

https://wjla.com/features/i-team/school-bus-electric-buses-montgomery-county-public-schools-maryland-joe-biden-administration-mcps-highland-electric-fleets-transportation-fuel-epa-gas

Maryland Audit: Transportation Employees Used 'Off the Books' Account

Maryland state audit report indicates that transportation management personnel in Montgomery County Public Schools may have used an “off the books” account to spend about $649,000 on goods and services “purportedly on behalf of MCPS from October 2017 to November 2021.”

An ‘Off the Books’ Account

Last November, as School Bus Fleet reported, MCPS put then-Transportation Director Todd Watkins and his assistant director, Charles Ewald, on administrative leave pending an investigation into those purchases.

“One of the employees was subsequently terminated in February 2022 and the other employee resigned in March 2022,” the report stated.

The account, maintained by a transportation vendor “outside the control of MCPS’ Office of Finance,” apparently was funded with about $1.2 million due to the school district for liquidated damages because the vendor hadn’t delivered goods on time “and credits for certain items included in the original bus procurement contract and paid for that were subsequently cancelled.”

After an internal audit and the account’s discovery, the district reported the situation to the Montgomery County Police Department and hired an accounting and advisory firm to conduct an independent forensic investigation.

The firm reviewed about $572,000 in spending by transportation department employees “that were considered questionable or required additional review,” the report stated.

Some reported purchases included gift cards and furniture shipped to the management employee’s home, according to the district’s Internal Audit Unit.

The audit report indicates that the MCPD and State Attorney’s Office were investigating the issues.

“The two individuals associated with this matter no longer work for MCPS, but police may still apply charges as part of their investigation,” said Christopher Cram, director of the school district’s communications office. “Because there is still an investigation and work to be done, we cannot comment further at this time.”

The report also delved into irregularities with the procurement of a school bus safety camera system. Wrote legislative auditor Gregory Hook:

“Our audit also disclosed that MCPS did not competitively procure or establish a fixed cost to be paid on a contract to use a vendor’s school bus safety camera system to assess violations against drivers that illegally pass a stopped school bus. In addition, the contract lacked sufficient details to enable effective monitoring of the amounts invoiced and paid to the vendor, which totaled $21.9 million as of June 30, 2021.”

Former MCPS Transportation Director Todd Watkins Sentenced to Probation.

Todd Watkins, the former Montgomery County Public Schools Department of Transportation director, was sentenced Wednesday to 200 hours of community service and will serve three years of supervised probation.

Watkins previously pled guilty to taking advantage of his position as a public official and stealing funds.

Watkins, 56, faced probation to six months in prison for pleading guilty to one count of misconduct.

According to court records, Watkins failed to properly manage the contract for school bus purchases and the use of purchasing cards, enabling Assistant Director of MCPS Department of Transportation Charles Ewald to steal more than $320,000...

Former MCPS Transportation Director Sentenced to Probation - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Investigation Prompts Leave for Two Maryland Transportation Directors

The top transportation directors in Maryland’s largest school district are now on leave pending a criminal investigation by local police.

Todd Watkins, director of the transportation department at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), and assistant director Charles Ewald were placed on leave after the district reported “allegations of possible financial improprieties,” according to an official statement released by the school system.

“We take these allegations very seriously, and as a result, we immediately contacted the police to investigate,” the statement said. “We are not able to share additional details while the investigation is proceeding.”..

https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/10156263/investigation-prompts-leave-for-two-maryland-transportation-directors?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Former Montgomery County schools administrator Todd Watkins pleads guilty amid $320,000 theft scandal

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — On Friday, a former Montgomery County Public Schools administrator pleaded guilty to one count of a misdemeanor charge of misconduct in office from his time in the school system, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office said.

Todd Michael Watkins, 56, of Jefferson, Md., was appointed Director of the Montgomery County Public Schools Department of Transportation in 2009. Starting at least in 2016 and continuing into September 2021, Watkins allegedly failed to properly manage the contract for the purchases of school buses and the use of purchasing cards in his department. The State's Attorney's Office claimed that Charles Ewald, the former Assistant Director of the Department of Transportation, was able to steal over $320,000 as a result...

Former Montgomery County schools administrator pleads guilty amid $320,000 theft scandal | WJLA

According to a source, both Watkins and Assistant Director Charles Ewald are under investigation concerning “a $600K discrepancy in terms of credit card abuse.”

TOP LEADERS OF MCPS TRANSPORTATION ON LEAVE PENDING FINANCIAL INVESTIGATION

At least two staff members at the Montgomery County Public Schools Department of Transportation are under investigation by the Montgomery County Police Department concerning “allegations of possible financial improprieties,” according to MCPS Director of Communications Christopher Cram.

“We take these allegations very seriously, and as a result, we immediately contacted the police to investigate,” Cram wrote in a statement.

A reply to an email request for comment from Todd Watkins, director of transportation, noted, “I am currently out of the office on leave.” There was no mention of when he would return...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/top-leaders-of-mcps-transportation-on-leave-pending-financial-investigation/