Former charter school administrators in Las Cruces accused of embezzlement
Two former employees of a charter high school in Las Cruces are facing charges of embezzlement.
It’s a story ABC-7 has been following since September of 2018.
ABC-7 learned about a state investigation into the finances at Alma d’Arte Charter High School.
The investigation found tens of thousands of dollars had been stolen.
At the time no arrests had been made, but on Monday the school’s former business manager and former principal were both charged with embezzlement.
The suspects are identified as Juliette Rivera and Mark Hartshorne.
Between the two of them, authorities say Rivera and Hartshorne stole more than $150,000.
Rivera was Alma d’Arte’s former business manager.
Court documents state she embezzled more than $120,000 over a 14 year period.
Rivera is also accused of tampering with evidence and tampering with public records.
Hartshorne is accused of embezzling $20,000.
He also allegedly forged the signature of the president of the Governance Council in order to give himself a $7,000 raise.
Hartshorne claimed the president gave him permission to sign his name, but the president said he never did and that the council never approved the raise.
Documents state Hartshorne was frustrated with the Governance Council, telling investigators the council never gave him a raise in the ten years he had been at Alma d’Arte.
The documents go on to say that Hartshorne said he knew of other charter school principals who making more money than him, so he decided to give himself a raise.
Rivera also allegedly gave Hartshorne money as well and that Hartshorne allegedly accepted the money telling investigators that he deserved it, according to court documents.
