School Accountant Steals Millions in Lunch Money

A woman who used to be an accountant for a California school district was recently sentenced to jail for stealing almost 2 million dollars in lunch money.

Former Rialto Unified School District accountant Judith Oakes pleaded guilty to eight counts of taking public funds.

The 50 year old Oakes will serve five years in county jail, along with three years of supervised probation. She’s also has to pay back 1.8 million dollars, the first 339 thousand dollar payment is due this month.

Prosecutors say she stole money for about 4 years averaging over 4 thousand a week.  They caught her on camera stuffing her bra with cash.  Authorities say she did that every three to four days.

A private investigator hired by the district reports,  Oakes may have stolen at least $3.1 million over 14 years, averaging $221,428 a year: more than she and her late husband brought home in legal pay combined. Oakes worked for the district for about 25 years.

The money bought expensive pickup trucks, dirt bikes, dune buggies and Jet Skis. The story was on Inside Edition Monday. Police Captain Randy de Anda told them Oakes was using the money to fund a lavish millionaire lifestyle.  He said she bought... “Recreational vehicles, ATV’s, jet skis, boats. She was taking expensive first class trips on airlines to different sporting events around the country."

Investigators said Oakes had a monthly credit card bill of $10,000 to $12,000, which she always paid in full with cash.

She also bought a sprawling three bedroom ranch-style second home with a pool and a spa for $230,000. Her husband died a few years ago so we can't ask him if he knew what was going on.

The school district is going to make sure this doesn't happen again, they have come up with  some checks and balances to keep better track of the money.