Update: Ex-Glendora Unified Employee Arrested For Allegedly Misappropriating District Money

A former Glendora Unified employee, who had worked at the district for 35 years in its finance department, is behind bars for misappropriating in excess of $350,000 of district funds.

On Tuesday, Glendora Police detectives served a search warrant at Cynthia Schlig’s Upland home and arrested her on forgery, embezzlement and theft of public funds.

Lt. Brian Summer said Schlig, a 57-year-old 35-year former employee of the Glendora Unified School District’s finance department, was arrested after a 19-month investigation. He said the investigation began after school district officials notified police of the missing funds in January 2012.

“The lengthy investigation included a comprehensive forensic audit of accounts in which Schlig had access, along with thousands of documents which needed to be reviewed covering a period of over five years.,” said Summers in a statement. “It is suspected that Schlig took in excess of $350,000 from district funds.”

Summers said Schlig was able to steal the cash under "an elaborate scheme to hide cash deposits, masking incoming cash with check deposits, and altering financial documents including ledgers and receipts,” according to a statement.

Glendora Unified Superintendent Robert Voors said the discovery of Schlig’s crimes was disappointing.

“We are saddened and deeply disappointed over the actions of this long-time employee,” Voors said.

“Every year, the school district is subject to state and federal audits, as well as an independent audit conducted by an external firm,” Voors continued. “We have always been found to have exemplary practices. Nevertheless we have reviewed our policies and practices and implemented improvements with the backing of accounting experts. We have implemented additional safeguards to ensure the security, transparency and accountability necessary to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.”

Glendora Police Chief Rob Castro said Glendora Unified was fully cooperative in the investigation.

“School district officials have contributed countless hours of assistance, producing supporting documents which included forensic audits that have helped investigators collect the evidence necessary to proceed with this case,” Castro said in a statement. “This case was a very complex investigation that required hundreds of investigative hours to reveal the sophisticated theft scheme perpetrated by the suspect over several years.”

The investigation included work by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit.

Schlig is expected to be arraigned Thursday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.  Schlig is currently being held on $140,000 bail at the Glendora Jail Facility.

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A former Glendora Unified employee, who had worked at the district for 35 years in its finance department, is behind bars for misappropriating $350,000 of district funds, according to a report by The San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Cynthia Schlig, 57, of Upland, was charged with five felony counts of forgery, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds. She is being held in the Glendora Jail on $140,000 bail.

Glendora Police said the arrest was made after a 19-month investigation by Glendora Police, the school district and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit.

According to the district, Schlig’s crimes were committed over a number of years. Schlig resigned from her position as accounting specialist in the finance department immediately after being confronted with the discovery.

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