A trial date has been set for a Columbus woman who allegedly pocketed more than $88,000 after telling the government she was going to open a community school in Delaware County but never did.
Wendy Marshall, 39, plead not guilty to several felony charges in Delaware County Common Pleas Court Thursday afternoon after she was indicted on March 9. Court documents alleged that Marshall requested funding to open a community school and after receiving $88,750 dollars the Ohio government the school never materialized and Marshall never returned the funds.
The Delaware County Grand Jury charged her with one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony; theft in office, a third-degree felony; theft, a fourth-degree felony; money laundering, a third-degree felony; two charges of securing writings by deception, one charge a fourth-degree felony and the other a fifth-degree felony; passing bad checks, a fourth-degree felony; telecommunications fraud, a third-degree felony; two counts of filing incomplete, false and fraudulent returns, a fifth-degree felony.
Marshall entered a not guilty plea to all the charges and Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Everett Krueger schedule her for a trial on June 14. Krueger also set her bail at $30,000.
Marshall was out of jail Friday afternoon after posting bond.
Officials from the Delaware County Prosecutors Office report the case had been appointed to them by the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office.
The Auditor of State’s Office reports that Marshall had applied for and secured sponsorship required to open Directional Academy, a community school, for the 2013-14 school year. Court documents say this took place in Nov. 2012.
In anticipation of Directional Academy’s opening, the Ohio Department of Education issued two payments, totaling $88,750, to a bank account opened by Marshall, the auditor’s office reports. The academy failed to open and a finding for recovery, in favor of the Ohio Department of Education, was issued against Marshall in the full amount.
Court documents also say that Marshall laundered $20,000 in August of 2013 and filed false tax returns in 2014 and 2015.
Prosecutors estimated Thursday that the jury trial would take four days.
