Police Allege Teacher Forged Documents To Defraud Town

By Andrew Gorosko

Documents on file at Danbury Superior Court state that police arrested a Newtown High School teacher on four felony counts on April 27 because the woman allegedly forged documents to obtain $1,735 from the school system to attend two drama association workshops, which police say never took place.

On April 27, police arrested Sabrina Post, 47, of 18 Split Rock Road for a second time, charging her with two counts of second-degree forgery and two counts of second-degree larceny.

Those counts bring to eight the number of charges pending against Ms Post. On April 11, police had arrested Ms Post on one felony count of first degree larceny, two felony counts of second degree forgery, and one misdemeanor count of criminal attempt to commit fifth-degree larceny. Ms Post did not enter pleas to those charges at her April 22 arraignment.

On February 8, school officials placed Ms Post on administrative leave with pay and benefits. School officials then declined to comment on why Ms Post was removed from her duties as a teacher.

Ms Post is the high school’s choral director, a senior class advisor, a Drama Club advisor, and had been the director of the NHS Drama Club’s production of Show Boat.

Ms Post started working at Newtown High School in September 2001. Ms Post’s base salary for the current school year is $73,339. That salary does not include the stipends that she is paid for the additional school duties.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said May 2, “As we investigate more thoroughly, there may be other charges. It’s sill ongoing. Additional charges are possible…We’re still conducting an investigation.”

Attorney Robert Lacobelle of Trumbull, who represents Ms Post, could not be reached for comment.

School Superintendent Evan Pitkoff said May 4 that Ms Post remains on administrative leave.

“We are working cooperatively with the police as the investigation continues,” Dr Pitkoff said. Police are thoroughly pursuing the matter, he said.

School officials will be collecting information concerning Ms Post’s employment status, Dr Pitkoff said. The situation may result in school officials pursuing a job termination hearing against Ms Post, he said.

In light of the criminal charges pending against Ms Post, school officials have reviewed their financial practices, Dr Pitkoff said.

“The problem was limited to one person in one school,” the school superintendent said. 

 

Warrant

According to the police’s arrest warrant application for the four latest criminal charges against Ms Post, police received a complaint on February 8 from School Superintendent Evan Pitkoff  concerning Ms Post.

“Dr Pitkoff stated that after review of two requests for reimbursement submitted by [Post], he discovered that they were fraudulent…The requests were submitted by [Post] for two workshops [Post] stated she had attended,” according to the court papers.

On a reimbursement form dated December 3, 2002, which was submitted to the school business office by Ms Post, she sought $825. Ms Post noted on the form that she would be attending a Connecticut Drama Association workshop at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on January 17, 18, and 19, 2003, according to the court papers.

Ms Post noted that she had paid for the workshop session in advance with her personal MasterCard credit card in a telephone transaction on December 1, 2002, and included a MasterCard account number on the reimbursement form, according to the court papers.

Also, Ms Post included with the reimbursement form an announcement notice of the drama workshop from the drama association signed by “Nancy Herman,” who was listed as the Connecticut Drama Association Festival Chairman, according to the court documents.

On December 20, 2002, the Town of Newtown reimbursed Ms Post $825. That reimbursement check was cashed at People’s Bank.

In connection with another request for funds, Ms Post submitted a purchase order in the amount of $910 for her attendance at a Connecticut Drama Association festival purportedly scheduled for February 17 through 21, 2004, at the Marriott Hotel in New York City. That session was to have included workshop sessions, lectures, and performances.

That funding request similarly contained a notice announcing the event, according to the court papers.

That purchase order form submitted by Ms Post sought reimbursement and listed her credit card account number and her Connecticut Drama Association membership number for the period from 2000 to 2005.

On February 13, 2004, the Town of Newtown issued Ms Post a check for $910. The check was cashed at Fleet Bank.

Investigation

In investigating the complaint from Dr Pitkoff, on April 15, police interviewed Connecticut Drama Association Treasurer Alfred Jones at his Waterbury home. Mr Jones, who has been an association member for 15 years, has been its treasurer since 2002.

“Jones was shown the two workshop announcements that were submitted to the Newtown public schools by [Post]…Jones stated in a signed written statement that the Connecticut Drama Association has never held a workshop outside of the State of Connecticut,” according to the court papers.

Mr Jones told police that the association would not take a credit card payment for its workshops, adding that the association does not issue membership numbers to its members.

Also, Mr Jones told police he was not aware of  “Nancy Herman” ever being a “festival chairman.”

“Jones stated that [Post] was not a member of the Connecticut Drama Association in the years 2003, 2004 or 2005,” according to the court papers.

“Jones stated that the announcements for the two workshops in New York City were not sent out by the Connecticut Drama Association, and were, in fact, phony,” according to the court papers. 

On April 15, police interviewed Sherry Cox at Ridgefield High School, where she is an English teacher. Ms Cox has been a member of the drama association since 1999, and has been the group’s secretary since 2003.

“Cox stated that the Connecticut Drama Association does not have any workshops outside the State of Connecticut. Cox stated that she does not know the accused,” according to the court papers.

On April 19, police interviewed Nancy Herman at Darien High School. Police showed Ms Herman the drama association festival announcement purportedly signed by her, which Ms Post had submitted for reimbursement purposes, according to the arrest warrant documents.

“Herman stated in a signed written statement that the signature on this notice was not her signature, and that she did not write the notice,” the court documents state.

Ms Herman told police that she had not been active in the drama association since the late 1990s. Ms Herman told police that she was not aware of any association festivals or workshops being held in New York City.

Police had Ms Herman provide them with samples of her signature, but the signatures that she wrote did not match the signature on the form that Ms Post had submitted to the public schools for reimbursement purposes, according to the court papers.

“Herman stated that she knew [Post] when she had worked… at the Middlesex Middle School in Darien,” the court documents state.

On April 20, police contacted MasterCard and learned that the credit card number that Ms Post had provided for reimbursement purposes for the January 2003 drama association festival was not a MasterCard account number.

On April 20, police dialed the drama association telephone number for festival reservations, which Ms Post had provided on the purchase order form for the February 2004 drama association festival. Police were connected to a bank in Mount Laurel, N.J.

Ms Post’s initial arrest on April 11 stems from her allegedly fraudulently obtaining or seeking to obtain reimbursements from the school system for various goods and services, including, generally, bus transportation, music equipment purchases, electronic equipment purchases, and private music lessons. The aggregate amount of those offenses was somewhat greater than $2,000, based on the first-degree larceny charge.

Ms Post is scheduled to appear in court on May 19, when she will be arraigned on the four latest criminal charges. She is free on a written promise to appear in court.