AMANDA JACKSON, age 55, a resident of Harvey, LA, was sentenced in federal court today before U. S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to five (5) years probation, a $4,000.00 fine and was ordered to pay $117,064.00 in restitution to the Jefferson Parish Public School System, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. Four other defendants, KIMBERLY M. WILLIAMS, age 35, a resident of New Orleans, LA; GESELLE SAVOY, age 58, a resident of Alamogordo, New Mexico; DANAY JACKSON, age 33, a resident of Harvey, LA; and TRACY WALKER, age 41, a resident of Westwego, LA, were sentenced on December 7, 2011.

AMANDA JACKSON had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit federal program fraud while employed by Jefferson Parish Public School System (JPPSS). WILLIAMS, SAVOY AND D. JACKSON, had also previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit federal program fraud while employed by the JPPSS. WALKER, had previously pled guilty to misprision of a felony.

According to court documents, WILLIAMS, SAVOY, A. JACKSON, D. JACKSON, and WALKER were all employees of JPPSS but none were certified teachers or qualified to perform tutoring, testing, or remediation for JPPSS. The bill of information charged that WILLIAMS and SAVOY submitted fraudulent payroll documents for themselves and A. JACKSON, D. JACKSON and WALKER so that defendants received approximately $132,152.00 in supplemental pay and stipends from JPPSS’ Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP), Graduate Exit Examination (GEE) tutoring fund, Education Excellent (EE) fund as well as a general fund.

The case was investigated by U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Education, the Louisiana Electronic and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs’ Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.

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