Former LVHS Employee Accused of Embezzlment

A technology coordinator at Lake View High School reportedly embezzled nearly $420,000 from Chicago Public Schools, according to an article by the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune identified the teacher as Robert Tirado. The incident was highlighted in the district inspector general's annual report, although the school and the teacher were not specifically named. 

Tirado was found dead in a Tijuana, Mexico hotel room in January of 2012, the Tribune article states. This was soon after he withdrew $70,000 from a personal bank account, resigned from his position and fled to California. 

According to the annual report's description of the investigation, throughout a 22-month period, the technology coordinator embezzled $419,748 in payment to fictitious vendors, with the coordinator pocketing much of that money. 

Nine individuals who were identified as false vendors were found to have personal ties to the technology coordinator, with the majority of the vendors being former high school classmates, and others were students at the school where the coordinator worked. Investigators reportedly found a handwritten note in the coordinator's office promising the vendors a commission. The investigation also found that most of the checks had been delivered to the same Evanston P.O. Box. 

The investigation states that the school's principal reported the coordinator to the OIG after he told her he was submitting false paperwork to receive overtime, and it was also found that it was highly likely that he was being reimbursed for personal items, and received around $114,477. 

Two clerks have also been disciplined after it was found that one assisted his fraud by paying him in small checks to avoid a Local School Council review, while another gave the technology coordinator her Oracle password, which allowed him to approve his own purchase order requests. 

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