JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A packed federal courtroom watched as two former leaders of Duval Teachers United were sentenced Friday for their roles in a long-running fraud scheme that cost the teachers’year-long union more than $1 million.
U.S. District Judge handed down prison sentences to Teresa Brady and Ruby George, both of whom previously pleaded guilty to multiple federal fraud charges.
Brady was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, while George received a sentence of 12 months and one day, followed by six months of home confinement. Both women will also serve three years of supervised release after completing their sentences.
In addition, the judge ordered Brady and George to pay more than $2 million in restitution to Duval Teachers United.
Federal prosecutors said the pair conspired to steal more than $1.2 million from the union by selling leave time they had neither accrued nor earned back. Investigators also said the former union leaders provided false information to auditors in an effort to conceal the unearned leave payments.
Several current union leaders were present in the courtroom and expressed disappointment over the actions of Brady and George.
During sentencing, both women addressed the court with emotional statements, accepting responsibility for their actions and asking for a second chance.
The case closes a year-long federal investigation into financial misconduct within the teachers’ union.teachers’
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