The criminal charges against an Atlanta charter school founder have grown to 55 counts of forgery and theft of at least $1.3 million after a Fulton County grand jury indicted him on seven additional charges.
Christopher Clemons, the 38-year-old founder of Latin Academy, now faces charges linked to two other local charter schools he was associated with, according to the new indictment returned Sept. 1.
The first charges came after a reported theft of more than $800,000 from Latin Academy, which later closed.
The new case is linked to thefts of more than $500,000, including money allegedly taken from Latin Grammar School and Latin College Preparatory School.
Combined, the two cases against Clemons allege a theft of roughly $1.3 million.
The new indictment alleges Clemons entered into agreements for short-term loans from Charter Asset Management on behalf of Latin Grammar and Latin College Prep when he did not have authority from the two schools to do so.
He’s also accused of putting money provided by the Fulton County Board of Education to the charter schools into the bank account of his Latin Schools Foundation without authorization, among other allegations.
Clemons’ attorney and a spokesman for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The first case is scheduled to go to trial early next year.
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