A District of Columbia school for disabled students and its founder are the subject of a federal grand jury investigation, a prosecutor announced Tuesday.
SunRise Academy founder Charles Emor already has earned a conspiracy conviction for his role in a computer theft ring. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roy Austin told a federal judge Tuesday that Emor and SunRise are being investigated for using public dollars to pay for the stolen computers.
Austin made the admission — a rare public revelation of an open investigation — to buttress his claim that Emor ought to be jailed while he awaits sentencing in the computer case.
Emor used his school’s money to pay for the stolen computers, Austin said. Emor also is suspected of “commingling” his own bank account with SunRise’s account, Austin said.
U.S. District Judge James Robertson denied Austin’s motion, and Emor remains free. There were other questions with Emor and the school, Austin said, but he refused to speak further because grand jury proceedings are sealed.
SunRise is a private school that receives more than 99 percent of its funding from the federal government because it takes in disturbed and disabled students D.C.’s failing public schools can’t accommodate.
The school has received nearly $20 million in federal and local dollars since fiscal 1999, according to city records. Emor’s lawyer refused comment. Emor is scheduled to be sentenced in the computer theft case next month. SunRise officials — two of whom attended Tuesday’s hearing, rolling their eyes and sighing as Austin made his motion — did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Anyone with information on the D.C. schools can call Bill Myers at 202-459-4956.
Public dollars to SunRise Academy
» 1999: $10,500
» 2000: $605,140
» 2001: $1,388,885
» 2002: $1,927,298.50
» 2003: $2,789,822
» 2004: $2,937,573
» 2005: $3,275,573
» 2006: $5,422,423.25
Source: D.C. finance office
