A former treasurer for the Carrollton Exempted Village School District has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the district.
Amy Spears, 50, pleaded guilty Sept. 18 in Carroll County Common Pleas Court to one felony count of theft in office. A charge of records tampering was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. She was sentenced Monday by Judge Michael V. Repella II, who said he would consider an early release if Spears meets specific conditions.
According to court documents, Spears stole $27,620 from the district between Sept. 30, 2022, and Oct. 1, 2024. Prosecutors said she wrote checks to herself under the guise of tuition reimbursements that were allowed by her contract, even though she never completed or attended the courses. Investigators said she also forged university documents to justify the payments.
The indictment also accused Spears of writing a $5,000 check to herself, claiming it was a test of a payment system.
An investigation by the Ohio Auditor’s Office Special Investigations Unit began after the agency received anonymous complaints. The audit found Spears had received about $22,000 in reimbursements for college classes she did not attend.
Following her guilty plea, Spears is barred from holding public office in Ohio. The Carrollton Board of Education accepted her resignation during a special meeting on Sept. 22.
