Ex-treasurer pleads guilty to stealing school district funds

The former treasurer of the Westside School District in Johnson County faces two years in prison and a restitution order of nearly $180,000 after she pleaded guilty in circuit court last week to theft of school money.

Brandi Freeman, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of theft on July 26 and will be sentenced Thursday to two years in prison, prosecutor David Gibbons said. The possible prison sentence for the Class B felony ranges from five to 20 years.

He said the delay in sentencing will give Freeman time to put her affairs in order before going to prison.

Freeman will serve her prison sentence in a regional lockup for people convicted of property crimes, Gibbons said.

Also, Circuit Judge William Pearson will suspend the imposition of further prison time for 18 years, Gibbons said. Freeman will be ordered to pay $179,391 in restitution to the school district or to the district’s bonding company. She will be ordered to pay $1,500 in fines and court costs, Gibbons said.

The Westside School District includes Hartman and Coal Hill in western Johnson County.

Freeman was charged Aug. 25 of last year with five counts of felony theft for crimes committed between May 1, 2013, and March 21, 2017. Two counts were thefts of greater than $25,000 and three counts were thefts of between $5,000 and $25,000.

The first count accused Freeman of stealing $110,422. A probable-cause affidavit aid Freeman, as treasurer, was responsible for depositing in district bank accounts checks and cash she received. She deposited the checks but kept the cash for herself.

In the second count, Freeman was accused of writing six checks totaling $6,132 on the district accounts naming herself as the payee and depositing them into her personal bank account.

Count three said Freeman stole $32,211 from the district.

In the fourth and fifth theft counts, Freeman used an Arvest Bank credit card issued to the district to make unauthorized personal purchases totaling $12,809 and a district Walmart credit card to make personal purchases totaling $14,817, according to the affidavit.