Oxford Judge Sentences Educator to 30 Months in Kick-Back Scheme

 

Edna Goble, 67, of Asheville, N.C., pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay bribes in connection with federal program funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and was sentenced on June 19 by United States District  Judge Michael Mills in Oxford, Miss., to 30 months imprisonment.
Goble admitted to paying bribes and kickbacks to Harvey Franklin, the former superintendent of the Greenville Public School District, in connection with a contract for reading services between the Greenville Public Schools and Edna Goble’s company, Teach Them to Read, Inc. d/b/a Early Detection Necessary Action. In addition, Goble was ordered to pay $1,041,432, joint and separately with Franklin, in restitution to the Department of Education, sentenced to 3 years supervised release following her term of imprisonment, and required to pay a $100 special assessment.
“Today’s action shows that Ms. Goble not only knowingly and willfully abused her position of trust for personal gain, but did so at the expense of the educational development of children. That is unacceptable,” said Yessyka  Santana, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Southeastern  Regional Office. “Deservedly, like her cohort-in-crime former superintendent Franklin, she will be held  accountable for cheating Greenville’s students.”
“This is one of the more appalling cases that my Office has been involved in since I became State Auditor,” Auditor Pickering said. “Ms. Goble and Mr. Franklin worked together to cheat and steal from the students of Greenville, and I am glad both parties are being held accountable for their actions.
Felicia C. Adams, United States Attorney said, “The actions of Ms. Goble and Mr. Franklin harmed the integrity of our public school system and adversely impacted some of our more vulnerable citizens, the children of the Greenville Public School District. When individuals abuse the public trust, our office will remain steadfast in prosecuting those individuals and ultimately ensuring that justice is served.”
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General and the Office of the State Auditor for the State of Mississippi and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.