Trial set for academy founder accused of stealing $800,000

Charter school official could face more charges.

An Atlanta charter school founder accused of theft from a now-closed school is headed to trial.

The case against Christopher Clemons, 38, is scheduled for a trial starting Jan. 10, according to Fulton County Superior Court records.

A final plea had been scheduled last week in the 2016 case that includes 48 counts of theft and forgery linked to the alleged theft of roughly $800,000 from Latin Academy Charter School.

The sum is the largest such loss in Georgia charter school history. The school closed in 2016.

The plea was postponed last week, and a prosecutor told the judge at the time that the state intends to bring more charges against Clemons.

Those potential new charges are linked to $350,000 Clemons is suspected of embezzling from two other schools he founded: Latin Grammar School and Latin College Preparatory School.

In the Latin Academy case, Clemons is accused of having thousands of dollars wired from the school’s bank account to an account belonging to him and of withdrawing cash from the school account, among other charges.

Clemons’ attorney and a spokesman for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Clemons is in jail awaiting the outcome of the case. He could receive a maximum sentence of 735 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Christopher Clemons