AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

JANUARY 23, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md

CONSULTANT SENTENCED FOR THEFT FROM THE ODYSSEY SCHOOL

Federal Funds Siphoned From School Educating Children With Dyslexia

BALTIMORE, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein announced today that U. S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Daniel Charles Llewellyn, age 40, of Towson, Maryland, to 3 months probation in connection with his guilty plea to stealing over $55,000 from The Odyssey School while working as a purchasing consultant in 2002 to 2003.

The Odyssey School, a private elementary school located in Stevenson, Maryland, educates children with dyslexia. The school received two federal grants totaling $99,200 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during 2001 to 2003.

According to the statement of facts presented at his guilty plea on August 23, 2005, Llewellyn was hired by the school to purchase equipment. He defrauded the school by obtaining funds for purchases that he never made. Along with proper requests for reimbursement Llewellyn falsely represented that he had purchased additional equipment or supplies for Odyssey and needed to be reimbursed. With only two exceptions, Llewellyn sought payments under $2,000 because checks over that amount required a second signature in addition to that of the business manager. Officials at Odyssey became suspicious in the summer of 2003 because of the large number of checks under $2,000 that had been written to pay for equipment. An audit revealed that the school had not received the equipment for which the checks had been written. Llewellyn has made restitution to the school.

U.S. Attorney Rosenstein commended the NASA Office of Inspector General for their investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Schenning, who prosecuted the case.