ELYRIA OH July 7 2013 — The former manager of Lorain County Community College’s bookstore pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of theft and theft in office for selling stolen books on the Internet.An additional charge of money laundering against Claudette Farrell, 66, was dropped by prosecutors in exchange for her plea.
Farrell could get up to 4½ years in prison, but Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery said he’s leaning toward sentencing her to probation and some time in the Lorain County Jail.
According to prosecutors, Farrell made $98,225 for selling books she stole from the store on the Internet. About 1,600 books sold online by Farrell were listed as damaged in a Feb. 18, 2009, fire in the tunnels beneath LCCC that caused approximately $8.4 million in damage to the campus.
School officials discovered discrepancies between a December 2009 audit of the bookstore’s finances and one that was conducted in April 2010. The December audit valued books damaged as being worth $100,953, while the second placed the value at $52,447.
Farrell was placed on leave in May 2010, and her contract wasn’t renewed.
Prosecutors have said that the thefts date back to at least August 2008, but the majority of the thefts appear to have taken place in the aftermath of the fire. Additional books appear to have been taken directly from the store’s shelves and from student trade-ins then sold by Farrell and her friend, Tina McElravy.
McElravy, 47, pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor theft charges for her role in the scheme. She had originally faced felony charges.
She was placed on one year of good behavior and agreed to pay the college $5,000.
Farrell agreed to repay the college $20,000 and to cooperate in efforts to help the college gain additional restitution through insurance companies as part of her plea.
Farrell and her attorney declined to comment after Wednesday’s hearing.
Drew Manns, who is accused of setting the February 2009 fire in an underground area of the campus, is still awaiting trial on aggravated arson charges.
Source: chroniclet.com