HOUSTON – The head of a Houston-area charter school and another employee are accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the school.
Houston Gateway Academy superintendent Richard Garza was indicted on federal embezzlement charges.
Recommended Videos
He and another employee, Ahmad Bokaiyan, are accused of stealing more than $250,000.
According to the indictment, Garza awarded a no-bid contract in 2014 to a group called Hot Rod Systems to build an IT building at the new school, even though construction on the school had not started.
The indictment states Hot Rod Systems was owned by Bokaiyan, who then wired some of that money into Garza's personal account.
Authorities said some of the money was used toward a new car and condominium.