Former Lynwood School District Official Taken Into Custody While Awaiting Sentencing

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former chief business officer for the Lynwood Unified School District -- who pleaded guilty in September to two felony counts for diverting more than $700,000 in public funds for his own use -- was taken into custody on Thursday, December 6, 2012.

William Douglas Agopian, 61, of Santa Ana, is expected to remain jailed while awaiting sentencing Jan. 4, according to Deputy District Attorney Dana Aratani.

Agopian pleaded guilty Sept. 4 to one felony count each of misappropriation of public funds and filing a false tax return. He is facing five years in state prison if he repays $700,000 to the school district and pays just over $121,000 to the state's Franchise Tax Board or an eight-year term behind bars if he does not make the payments.

The charges involve money that was diverted from a bank account that was initially established to facilitate a sister city trip to Mexico for Lynwood Unified School District students, according to the prosecutor.

The money was used to pay for sporting events, hot tub equipment, hotels
and Agopian's personal taxes, authorities said. The district later learned about the account when officials were researching ways to save money on bank fees, according to Aratani.

From City News Service

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