RICHMOND, Va. — Federal investigators have accused a former business manager at a Richmond-area Catholic school with embezzling nearly $240,000 over a three-year period.
According to a criminal information filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in federal court, Shannel Peoples-Hilliard allegedly embezzled approximately $239,820.09 from All Saints Catholic School on Richmond's Northside between November 2021 and July 2024.
Prosecutors allege Peoples-Hilliard, who served as the school's business manager, used the school's credit card without authorization to pay for personal expenses.
Court records indicate she allegedly used the school credit card to purchase trips to Orlando, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach and Miami.
She also allegedly bought tickets to see "Hamilton," Usher, LL Cool J and Capitol Jazz, along with purses and jewelry, and used school funds to pay her rent.
Federal investigators claim Peoples-Hilliard falsified the school's bank reconciliation reports to conceal her actions.
For example, she allegedly attributed personal expenses such as a Royal Caribbean cruise, a hotel stay in North Carolina, and a deposit to The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing to a journal entry category for ongoing construction at the school.
All Saints Catholic School is a private K-8 institution that serves middle-income minority families, including underprivileged students, according to court documents.
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond provided a letter that Michael Riley, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, sent to the All Saints Catholic School community in August 2024 addressing the alleged financial impropriety.
"We were shocked to learn of what may be a profound violation of the trust essential to supporting our school and mission," Riley wrote in the letter.
Riley stated that school officials "immediately took steps to investigate and report these concerns to law enforcement" upon discovering the irregularities. He also noted that the school has safeguards in place to maintain oversight over school resources and "we are closely examining those policies to strengthen them however we can."
Peoples-Hilliard faces one count of wire fraud. Court records show she is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on September 4 at 1 p.m., followed by a guilty plea hearing 30 minutes later.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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