A former employee of Lawton Public Schools is facing charges for allegedly embezzling district funds.
The Van Buren County Prosecutor’s office has authorized a charge of embezzlement over $50,000 but less than $100,000 against Andria Rice-Keister, a former bookkeeper for the district. She was arraigned last week.
Lawton Community Schools Superintendent Ben Bandfield addressed the community in a social media video Tuesday.
“Recently, we found out that a longtime employee embezzled district funds, over $100,000 over a course of two years,” Badfield said. “As a taxpayer, community member, and a father of three Lawton students, I know how hard people work for every dollar that supports our schools, and it’s frustrating to see that trust broken.”
Bandfield said all is not lost, though.
“The good news is we caught it, acted quickly and worked with law enforcement right away. We’ve recovered all but about $2,500. The individual no longer works for the district and is being prosecuted.”
Banfield said the district will continue putting students first.
The investigation into Rice-Keister began in September when Lawton police were contacted. They submitted the results of their investigation to the prosecutor in late October.
If convicted, Rice-Keister could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
