Former School Principal Sentenced for Embezzlement

Former principal of St. John the Baptist Elementary School in Smithton, Illinois, Roy Joseph Monti of St. Louis, Missouri has been sentenced to 6 months in federal prison and 6 months of home detention. The 54-year old Monti was sentenced last week. He pleaded guilty back in September to one count of interstate transportation of stolen money.

The former principal will also be serving an additional 18 months of supervised release following his home confinement. The court documents show that from March 2017 to November, Monti, using his position as school principal, embezzled $113,061.87 from the school’s bank account. Monti also tried to cover up his illegal actions by noting purportedly valid expenses on the withdrawal slips, which turned out to be false and fraudulent.

Monti also committed a federal felony as he often carried large amounts of stolen cash across state lines because he lived in Missouri while working in Illinois. Monti is also ordered to make full restitution to the school. The Smithton Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation.