OKLAHOMA CITY – An investigative audit of Stillwater Public Schools has led to a felony embezzlement charge filed against a former district employee.
Stacy Kay Hampton is accused of stealing more than $200,000 from the school nutrition program over the course of seven years. Bond was set at $75,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 6.
“Based on our findings, this employee was literally taking food out of the mouths of children,” State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd said.
“Hampton was an administrative assistant for the school nutrition program and took money specifically earmarked to feed schoolkids. She was in charge of collecting money from school cafeterias and making the deposits. Based on work we performed, it appears Hampton embezzled $216,196 from fiscal year 2013 through fiscal year 2019.”
Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas requested the audit after being alerted by Jericah Dawson, the Stillwater Public Schools chief financial officer. Dawson was conducting an internal investigation and discovered the discrepancy, Byrd said.
The State Auditor & Inspectors Office delivered its audit findings to the Payne County DA’s office last month. Austin Thomas filed felony embezzlement charges against Hampton on April 29.
“This extensive and thorough investigation would not have been possible without the interagency cooperation of the Stillwater Public Schools, the State Auditor's Office, and the Stillwater Police Department, working in concert to present a prosecutable criminal case,” Thomas said. “I am grateful the school brought this criminal activity to light and pursued further investigation.”
The full audit report is posted on the Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector’s website at www.sai.ok.gov.