The founder of a company that operated charter schools in several Florida counties has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Pensacola News Journal reports Marcus May also was sentenced to Tuesday to pay a $5 million fine for using those schools to steer millions of dollars into his personal accounts. He was convicted last month of two counts of racketeering and one count of organized fraud.
May's company, Newpoint Education Partners, operated charter schools in Escambia, Bay, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Prosecutors say May misappropriated millions in public money to buy furniture, computers and other materials at inflated prices from fraudulent companies run by his close associates.
A co-defendant, Steven Kunkemoeller, has been sentenced to 4 ½ years for racketeering and organized fraud.
