NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The former Principal of Columbus Elementary School plead guilty today in New Rochelle City Court to one count of Petit Larceny. In exchange for her guilty plea and restitution of $4,525, she was promised a sentence of 3 years probation with gambling treatment.
Sonya Nunez, 45, of Bronxville, NY was initially charged with one count of Grand Larceny-3rd, a Class D Felony. for stealing property valued in excess of $3,000,
Investigators from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office determined that between June 8, 2015 and May 9, 2016, Nunez, while employed as the Principal of Columbus Elementary School in New Rochelle, intentionally stole approximately $4,525 from the City of New Rochelle School District.
According to the complaint, Nunez stole the money by writing checks payable to herself and by taking cash kept in the school’s petty cash safe without permission or consent of the school district to take the money for her own personal use.
Sources tell Talk of the Sound that Nunez took the money from an off-book account set up for Columbus School programs.
In a statement to Talk of the Sound, Robert Wolf of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office said the DA believes the restitution has already been paid.
Nunez will be back in court on October 11, 2017 for sentencing.
Nunez served as Assistant Principal under her predecessor as Principal, Dr. Yigal Joseph, who retired in 2012. Nunez served as Columbus principal for three years before being granted tenure in 2015. She submitted her resignation on Friday, May 20, 2016.
At the time, Schools Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne said “There is an ongoing investigation, at the conclusion of the investigation, appropriate action will be taken.”
The allegations center on embezzlement of school funds.
Ken Levy temporarily replaced Nunez as Principal at Columbus. Michael Galland was moved from Davis School to Columbus School as a permanent replacement for Nunez in the summer of 2016
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