The indictment of the former maintenance director for the Bristol Township School District and two other men was a long time coming, according to sources.
Two sources, both who spoke on the condition on anonymity, said the federal investigation into former maintenance director James N. Anders, Jr, 59, of Willow Grove; Patrick Squires, 58, of Voorhees, New Jersey; and Ernest Neff, 58, of Newtown, was a long one that involved investigators pouring over financial documents and invoices.
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Former school board member Sean Norman posted the following comment below LevittownNow.com’s article Tuesday evening:
You have no idea how elaborate this scam was. Myself and another board member did so much digging. I remember working so hard to find just enough to bring it to light. People thought we were crazy. So, every step of the way was a fight. It took years for it to get to this point. And I could not be happier that these dirt bags who ripped off our kids are paying for it. I was told I would be sued, was wrong, and was just trying to attack these guys personally. I do want to say thanks to the school lawyer, district attorney, and FBI and fellow board members for listening and getting these bums. This was a scam, a attack on our schools.. It was found and these guys will pay.
The alleged fraud happened between September 2006 to September 2011 and cost the cash-strapped district $373,453.43, according to investigators.
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Late Tuesday night, Acting Superintendent Melanie Gehrens issued the following statement:
The Bristol Township School District has faith in the legal system of this country and believes that justice will be done regarding the alleged actions of our former maintenance director, which led to his indictment earlier today.
In a financially-challenged school district such as ours, every dollar spent is precious. The alleged activity was discovered, followed and reported by District staff. The District commenced the investigation by first hiring a forensic accountant then reporting its findings to the District Attorney. Had it not been for the efforts of District personnel, there would be no prosecution.
We are saddened that the District was allegedly taken advantage of in the manner outlined by U.S. Attorney David Memeger. At the same time, we are relieved that a legal process to address this matter has begun. Our students, teachers and taxpayers did not deserve the alleged deceptive practices that that lead to today’s charges.
