CROWLEY (WBAP/KLIF News) – A Florida man is accused of duping the Crowley Independent School District out of almost $2 million.
The scam involved a wire transfer scheme involving a fake construction company.
According to a message posted the the district’s website, Superintendent Mike McFarland said on November 20, officials learned that money indented as payments to Steele & Freeman Incorporated, a construction company for the district, were electronically transferred to a fake accounts instead of Steele & Freeman’s.
Investigators say the suspect, Donald Howard Conkright, allegedly posed as an employee of the company and asked the district to wire the funds to the fraudulent account.
According to the U.S. attorneys office, Conkright’s account received two payments from Crowley ISD…$522,588.98 on November 13 and $1,473,126.54 on November 14.
Investigators said Conkright went on a spending spree including a pricey new BMW and Rolex watches. He’s now facing wire fraud charges and extradition to Fort Worth.
McFarland said when the district discovered the fraud, it immediately contacted authorities and started an internal investigation.
He said the district will continue to work with authorities to bring Conkright to justice and to recover the stolen money.
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