An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in a guilty plea by Ashley Haworth, a former federal programs and technology director for the Alamo City School District in Crockett County.
Investigators determined that Haworth made five unauthorized personal purchases totaling $1,974.55 using a school district American Express credit card between April 2022 and May 2023.
Haworth was able to conceal her activity because she was the sole school district employee responsible for reviewing the monthly credit card statements. She also changed the login password to the American Express online account which prevented access by other school district officials.
It should be noted that Haworth repaid the school district $5,902.73, which includes repayment of unauthorized personal purchases, accrued interest, and associated late fees charged to the district. The amount was repaid based on calculations by school district officials.
Based upon this investigation, on August 27, 2024, Ashley Haworth entered a guilty plea by way of criminal information to the Class A misdemeanor offense of attempted fraudulent use of a credit card over $1,000 in the Crockett County Circuit Court. Haworth was granted judicial diversion and placed on supervised probation.
“School district officials should ensure they are providing adequate oversight over credit cards transactions,” said Comptroller Mumpower. “Designing internal controls which include reviewing credit card statements is a good step in preventing misappropriation.”
