Former Shakopee Schools Superintendent Rod Thompson racked up more than $30,000 in personal expenses on his district credit card, using public funds to splurge on sports memorabilia, first-class airfare, concert tickets and an Xbox game system, according to charges filed Tuesday in Scott County District Court.
Over a six-year period, the embattled schools chief used an assortment of schemes to make hundreds of personal purchases on the district's dime, said Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar.
Thompson, 52, turned himself in to authorities Tuesday afternoon and is being held at the Scott County jail ahead of Wednesday's arraignment hearing. He faces 20 felony charges, including six counts of theft by swindle, 13 counts of embezzlement of public funds and one count of possession of stolen property, plus one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property.
Unsanctioned purchases included a $23 Vikings flag, a $476 flat-screen TV, $220 cowboy boots, a $46 garden hose and miscellaneous jewelry, according to the criminal complaint.
Thompson ignited the ire of parents and community members in March, shortly after he notified staff of a $4.5 million budget shortfall, which he blamed on "human error." The announcement prompted a Shakopee Valley News inquiry into the district's finances, school board members' travel and credit card use. News coverage and community outrage led to his June resignation — about a month after police launched a criminal probe. His separation agreement granted him a $50,000 payout from the district.
"At the end of the day we're all losers. But the only satisfaction is that he'll have to pay for what he did," said Carrie Ferris, an active member of FACT: Friends & Concerned Taxpayers of Shakopee, an offshoot of the "Concerned Citizens of Shakopee" Facebook group, which clamored for a formal investigation.
"He will hopefully be a deterrent for those who think they can get away with this garbage," said Ferris, calling the charges long overdue.
Shakopee Police Chief Jeff Tate said his investigators found $73,642 in what he called fraudulent charges and unjustified reimbursements by Thompson since 2012 — as far back as the Minnesota statute of limitations allows for charging such crimes.