Former food service manager pleads guilty to embezzlement
A former food service manager at Lake Ridge Middle School pleaded guilty in Prince William CircuitCourt this morning to stealing more than $34,000 from school funds over two months.
Valorie Jean Penn, 53, of pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement during a brief court appearance. Prosecutors agreed to drop six other embezzlement charges.
Over a seven- or eight-week period beginning in March 2007, Penn altered computer records that showed the amount of money the school deposited to the bank each day, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney William Jarvis said.
Penn changed the amount of the deposits in the computer system, taking between $100 and $200 a day, Jarvis said. The total amount stolen was $34,173.87, Jarvis said. Penn had worked at Lake Ridge Middle School since 2000 and was put on administrative leave after the embezzlement charges were filed in May, school officials said at the time. She will be sentenced on March 20.