December 5, 2019: Former Baltimore City School Business Manager Pleads Guilty to Theft of School Funds
Former Baltimore City School Business Manager pleads guilty to theft of school funds
State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that Danean Cunningham, a former teacher and Business Manager of Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, pleaded guilty to the theft of Baltimore City school funds. Cunningham admitted stealing approximately $9,999.99 from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School while employed as the school’s Business Manager by depositing monies made payable to the school into her personal bank account. As Business Manager, Cunningham was responsible for the collection, recordation and deposit of all school monies. Cunningham was sentenced to three years to the Department of Corrections, all of which was suspended in favor of three years of probation by the Honorable Melissa Phinn. As a condition of probation, Cunningham has to pay restitution in the amount of $9,999.99 to the Baltimore City Public School System.
“Ms. Cunningham stole funds intended for the education and enrichment of students in Baltimore City. She has now been held accountable for her breach of the community’s trust. I commend Deputy State Prosecutor Kelly Madigan, who led the prosecution of this matter for our office,” said Howard.
Cunningham is the fourth Baltimore City Public School System employee charged by the Office of the State Prosecutor since 2013. Leslie Lewis, a former principal, was charged and convicted of stealing over $60,000.00 from Baltimore Community High School in 2017. In October of 2015, Alisha Trusty, former principal of Western High School, pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $54,000 from the school’s student activity fund. In March of 2013, William Howard, II, former principal of Coppin Academy, pleaded guilty to stealing over $10,000 from that school’s student activity fund account.
The Office of the State Prosecutor would like to thank the Public Corruption Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance on this joint investigation.