Former CPS principal pleads guilty in overtime-fraud case at Buena Park neighborhood school, federal officials say

A former Brennemann Elementary School principal pleaded guilty Thursday to her alleged role in an overtime kickback scheme at the Buena Park neighborhood school, federal officials said.

Sarah Jackson Abedelal pleaded guilty to wire fraud Thursday before U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, according to U.S. attorney’s office spokesman Joe Fitzpatrick.

Abedelal was charged in July 2021 in a 10-count wire fraud indictment alleging a seven-year scheme to have employees file for overtime they didn’t work and kick back at least $200,000 to her, which she allegedly used for her own purposes including for her car and her student loans, according to charges.

Abedelal is one of six defendants — including two of Abedelal’s underlings — who have been ensnared in the case, which also involved an alleged scheme to falsify orders for school supplies to provide iPhones, iPads and prepaid gift cards to school officials for personal use.

Also facing charges are former assistant principal at Brennemann, Jennifer McBride; the school’s former business manager, William Jackson; and Ashley Beard, 34, a business clerk at Caldwell Math and Science Academy at 85th Street and South Cregier Avenue.

Abedelal and McBride created a fictitious summer school program during the summer of 2017 to generate approximately $12,000 in unearned overtime pay for McBride, according to the charges.

Anthony Rasmussen, 47, and his co-worker at a supply company, Debra Bannack, 62, of Schaumburg, were also charged in the alleged scheme.

Rasmussen was a sales associate for a suburban vendor that had contracts to supply Chicago Public Schools with paper, printer toner and other school supplies, according to the 10-page indictment.

According to the charges, after investigators visited Brennemann in March 2019, McBride directed Abedelal “to buy a ‘burner’ phone” so that they could conceal their communications from the inspector general.

Abedelal earlier pleaded not guilty. Her attorney, Dena Singer, had previously said in a statement that Abedelal “is a wonderful friend and family to everybody who knows her, and she was looking forward to putting this episode behind her.”

Abedelal was principal of the Buena Park neighborhood school for about 12 years until 2019, when the CPS inspector general began investigating reports of wrongdoing.

Brennemann, in the 4200 block of North Clarendon Avenue, has just over 400 prekindergarten through eighth grade students.

The school’s motto is, “Where high standards and excellence are the expectations,” according to its website.