A former secretary at Spring Lake School in Manito was arrested Monday after she was accused of stealing over $150,000 from the school’s coffers for personal use.
Patrika F. Rawlings, 54, of Manito, was charged with one count of felony theft for allegedly taking money from the school for her own personal use after an investigation that began last August when the school reported the theft to the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation revealed Rawlings, who was serving as secretary and financial officer at the school, was allegedly using school-issued credit cards, bank checks and other financial account for her own personal gain, taking over $150,000 from those accounts.
At 4:19 p.m. Monday, Rawlings was taken into custody in Pekin and she made a first appearance in court Wednesday.
Rawlings no longer works for Spring Lake School, as her name is absent from an online staff directory as of Wednesday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Tazewell County school employee accused of stealing over $150K
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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