Northbrook resident among former CPS employees charged in fraud scheme

Two more former administrators from a school in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood are facing federal charges after an investigation into an overtime fraud and procurement scheme.

An 11-count indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charged former Brennemann Elementary Assistant Principal Jennifer McBride, 40, of Northbrook, with four counts of wire fraud, and former Brennemann Business Manager William Jackson, 37, of Chicago, was charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud, according to a release by the U.S. attorney's office, Northern District of Illinois.

Former Principal Sarah Jackson Abedelal, 58, of Chicago was charged with overtime fraud in 2021.

Abedelal is accused of authorizing unearned overtime pay for certain employees and telling them to repay her and McBride with cash and gift cards. Abedelal told employees the money would be used for school expenses but actually intended to spend it on herself, according to the news release.

Abedelal, McBride, Jackson and others prepared or altered overtime sheets to conceal the fraud, the indictment stated.

The indictment alleges Abedelal, Jackson and a sales representative for a company that sold goods to Chicago Public Schools carried out the procurement aspect: False purchase orders and invoices totaling more than $45,000 were meant to conceal the receipt of iPads, iPhones and about $30,000 in gift cards for Abedelal's personal use.