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Gerlma Johnson (Linkedin Photo)
At a time the Detroit Public Schools is battling Lansing to get money to survive, details of a major kickback scandal are surfacing.
It's a painful scenario to watch.
On Wednesday, former school principal Gerlma Johnson, who spent 28 years in the district, pleaded guilty to bribery in U.S. District Court in Detroit, according to Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press.
Johnson, who was principal of Charles Drew Academy and Earhart Elementary-Middle School, admitted to accepting about $22,000 in kickbacks from a vendor and spending it on jewelry, perfume and clothing and for helping her school, the Freep reports. Her plea agreement calls for a prison sentence of 24-30 months in prison. She's scheduled to be sentenced in September.
Johnson was one of 12 principals, along with a school administrator, charged with taking kickbacks from vendor Norman Shy. The feds have charged Shy with writing up phony invoices for products he never delivered.
As part of the scheme, the school officials signed the invoices and Shy provided kickbacks, authorities charged.
