EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A former employee of the Dupo School District pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday for embezzling over $135,000 from the school’s student activity fund.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Illinois, Linda J. Johnson, 58, of Waterloo, Illinois, embezzled from Dupo Community Unit School District #196 between 2020 and 2022.
Court documents explain that Johnson worked as administrative support in the superintendent’s office and was responsible for depositing cash and checks into the district’s accounts intended to support student athletics, clubs, and extracurriculars.
Authorities said Johnson prepared bank deposit slips reflecting the correct amount of cash and checks received by the school but later prepared an additional set of deposit slips that only accounted for the checks received and would keep the cash for herself.
In total, the school district lost $135,566.80 over two years.
Johnson pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of theft from a federally funded program. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Johnson could potentially receive up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Johnson is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 27, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.