School founder gets prison time for theft

Washington Times ^ | August 17, 2007 | Jim McElhatton

[3AngelaD]

The founder of a private, government-funded school in the District was sentenced to a year in prison yesterday and faces possible deportation for his role in a scheme to steal computers from the Gateway Inc. computer plant in Virginia. Charles Emor, executive director of the SunRise Academy, broke down in tears as he apologized and sought a sentence of home confinement from U.S. District Judge James Robertson in federal court in the District....

The sentence may affect Emor's immigration status. He came to the country from Nigeria legally in 1983, but defense attorney Danny Onorato said the criminal case could prompt immigration officials to kick Emor out of the country.

SunRise describes itself as a private day school for children with special needs. The school bills the District $650,000 per month, according to court records. With Emor controlling its finances, the school also had more than a dozen real estate holdings, prosecutors say.

Yesterday, prosecutors argued that Emor's financial holdings cast doubt on his argument that he stole the computers for his school's computer lab. "If the school had money to buy real estate holdings, he has enough money for computers," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Schornstein said.

Emor was the only one of the five defendants charged in the probe not to take a plea deal. He was convicted after a three-day jury trial in December...

The prosecutor also said concerns raised by Emor's attorney about possible deportation shouldn't be a major consideration at the sentencing.

[3AngelaD]

He wanted home detention! Hows about a year in prison and then a one-way ticket back to Nigeria. Why does everything the DC government and schools touches turn to graft? Maybe it's because the primary function of both is to give away other people's money. A new template: come to America, get on the gravy train and steal as much as you can steal. I hope they are looking at those real estate transactions. The property will probably turn out to be in Emor's name.

[mtbopfuyn]

A private school funded with tax dollars?

[Gay State Conservative]

Back to Nigeria with ya,ya thief!

[ontap]

The most expensive school district in the nation and the worst scores. voila!!

[NRA1995]

In yesterday’s article, the school’s PRINCIPAL said that the theft of Gateway computers taken by this Nigerian f**k, supposedly for use by this so-called “school”, were the fault of Gateway because they didn’t properly secure their warehouse. Lock up the lot of them!

[3AngelaD]

The District has numerous charter schools, some of which are excellent and many of which are designed solely to take money from the school system and enrich those running the schools. The ones that get me are the Afro-centric schools that, sadly, teach kids how to be Africans, but not how to be Americans and not how to be productive members of society. The Charter schools in DC are a source of constant scandal and crime.