In keeping with their never ending mantra, “We’re innocent,” a couple of Concept Schools administrators, Superintendent Ugar Zengince, also known as “Mr. Zen," and Director Ali Kuceker issued a statement to their employees at the Horizon Science Academy. Likewise, another Horizon employee Mrs. Lierly, echoed Zen's and Kuceker's sentiments, instructing the staff to "discourage any rumors or panic that may arise."
The raids occurred on June 4th and yet the boys conveniently sat on that bit of information -- information that might just affect how parents and students feel about attending one of the 19 Concept Schools currently under federal investigation. It’s interesting how the boys skirt publicity when it comes to alleged naughty deeds, but love to plaster their websites with publicity releases on their dalliances with local politicians. I wonder how receptive those “hands-out” politicians who have been stuffing their mouths with free baklava and trips to Turkey will be to the boys when they start throwing their benefactors into the slammer.
In a letter to the Ohio Department of Education, Concept Schools President Sedat Duman tried to diffuse the situation by stating that the feds were only "auditing" e-grant information. However, FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson rebutted this claim by countering, "The FBI does not do audits."
Updated: 11:26 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, 2014 | Posted: 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, 2014
FBI serves search warrant at Dayton school
- See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/fbi-serves-search-warrant-dayton-school/ngHts/?ecmp=social_20140610_25688436#sthash.UJ1qwP1L.dpuf
By Breaking News Staff
DAYTON —
The FBI served a federal search warrant last week at the Horizon Science Academy.
An agency spokesman confirmed today that the warrant was served June 4 in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Education. The FBI said the search warrant was in connection to a "white collar crime," and did not involve any threats to the school, students or faculty.
""Earlier this week, we were asked to provide information to U.S. Department of Education officials as part of a larger federal audit of e-rate technology grants. Those officials indicated they are auditing the funds dispersed to various schools to verify that work paid for with e-rate grants was completed as reported," said Sedat Duman, President and CEO of Concept Schools, which operates Horizon. "We were happy to provide them with records and supporting materials detailing how e-rate grants were spent at our school, so that they can successfully complete their audit."
Additional information has not been released.
No arrests have been made.
Here’s another article on the raids:
FBI agents in Cleveland examining Illinois business that runs charter schools
By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer
on June 09, 2014 at 6:41 PM, updated June 09, 2014 at 6:55 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Federal authorities in Cleveland are examining an Illinois company that manages the local Horizon Science Academy schools and several others in the Midwest, and they have seized documents from several locations in the past week, including here in Ohio.
FBI agents in Cleveland, along with the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Communications Commission, searched 19 locations, including three in Northern Ohio, regarding Concept Schools, according to interviews and published reports.
Vicki Anderson, an FBI agent in Cleveland, said the search warrants involved "a white-collar matter,'' but she would not specify. The search warrants are sealed.
Anderson said the case "did not involve violence or threats against the school, faculty or students.'' She would not identify the places searched.
The Indianapolis Business Journal reported last week that authorities are looking at financial records from schools managed by Concept Schools, an Illinois-based company.
Almost two-thirds of the 30 schools are in Ohio. Most are science and technology-themed schools, including several Horizon science academies in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to a highly regarded campus of an elementary, middle and high school near E. 60th Street and Interstate 90's Marginal Road, there is a Horizon elementary and middle school on Columbus and Denison avenues in Ohio City. Concept also runs Noble Academy at 1200 E. 200th St. in Euclid.
The federal education department named Horizon Science Academy in Cleveland a Blue Ribbon School in 2009, one of eight Ohio "Needles in a Haystack" - schools that succeed even in difficult urban areas.
In 2010, it was cited by the Thomas Fordham Institute. In 2011, the Ohio Department of Education made it one of 122 "Schools of Promise.'' Teachers and educators from across Concepts School were just in Cleveland in March for the network's annual STEM conference. On May 30, Eric Waldo, executive director of Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative, spoke at the school's graduation ceremony.
The Indianapolis Business Journal quoted a spokeswoman from an Indianapolis school, who said agents requested documents that were part of an audit the U.S. Department of Education was conducting of federal "e-rate'' grant programs.
"Earlier this week we were asked to provide information to U.S. Department of Education officials as part of a larger federal audit of e-rate technology grants," the school official said in a statement.
"Those officials indicated they are auditing the funds dispersed to various schools to verify that work paid for with e-rate grants was completed as reported.''
Plain Dealer reporter Patrick O'Donnell contributed reporting for this story.
- See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/fbi-serves-search-warrant-dayton-school/ngHts/?ecmp=social_20140610_25688436#sthash.UJ1qwP1L.dpuf
http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/fbi-serves-search-warrant-dayton-school/ngHts/?ecmp=social_20140610_25688436
The raids occurred on June 4th and yet the boys conveniently sat on that bit of information -- information that might just affect how parents and students feel about attending one of the 19 Concept Schools currently under federal investigation. It’s interesting how the boys skirt publicity when it comes to alleged naughty deeds, but love to plaster their websites with publicity releases on their dalliances with local politicians. I wonder how receptive those “hands-out” politicians who have been stuffing their mouths with free baklava and trips to Turkey will be to the boys when they start throwing their benefactors into the slammer.
In a letter to the Ohio Department of Education, Concept Schools President Sedat Duman tried to diffuse the situation by stating that the feds were only "auditing" e-grant information. However, FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson rebutted this claim by countering, "The FBI does not do audits."
Updated: 11:26 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, 2014 | Posted: 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, 2014
FBI serves search warrant at Dayton school
- See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/fbi-serves-search-warrant-dayton-school/ngHts/?ecmp=social_20140610_25688436#sthash.UJ1qwP1L.dpuf
By Breaking News Staff
DAYTON —
The FBI served a federal search warrant last week at the Horizon Science Academy.
An agency spokesman confirmed today that the warrant was served June 4 in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Education. The FBI said the search warrant was in connection to a "white collar crime," and did not involve any threats to the school, students or faculty.
""Earlier this week, we were asked to provide information to U.S. Department of Education officials as part of a larger federal audit of e-rate technology grants. Those officials indicated they are auditing the funds dispersed to various schools to verify that work paid for with e-rate grants was completed as reported," said Sedat Duman, President and CEO of Concept Schools, which operates Horizon. "We were happy to provide them with records and supporting materials detailing how e-rate grants were spent at our school, so that they can successfully complete their audit."
Additional information has not been released.
No arrests have been made.
Here’s another article on the raids:
FBI agents in Cleveland examining Illinois business that runs charter schools
By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer
on June 09, 2014 at 6:41 PM, updated June 09, 2014 at 6:55 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Federal authorities in Cleveland are examining an Illinois company that manages the local Horizon Science Academy schools and several others in the Midwest, and they have seized documents from several locations in the past week, including here in Ohio.
FBI agents in Cleveland, along with the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Communications Commission, searched 19 locations, including three in Northern Ohio, regarding Concept Schools, according to interviews and published reports.
Vicki Anderson, an FBI agent in Cleveland, said the search warrants involved "a white-collar matter,'' but she would not specify. The search warrants are sealed.
Anderson said the case "did not involve violence or threats against the school, faculty or students.'' She would not identify the places searched.
The Indianapolis Business Journal reported last week that authorities are looking at financial records from schools managed by Concept Schools, an Illinois-based company.
Almost two-thirds of the 30 schools are in Ohio. Most are science and technology-themed schools, including several Horizon science academies in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to a highly regarded campus of an elementary, middle and high school near E. 60th Street and Interstate 90's Marginal Road, there is a Horizon elementary and middle school on Columbus and Denison avenues in Ohio City. Concept also runs Noble Academy at 1200 E. 200th St. in Euclid.
The federal education department named Horizon Science Academy in Cleveland a Blue Ribbon School in 2009, one of eight Ohio "Needles in a Haystack" - schools that succeed even in difficult urban areas.
In 2010, it was cited by the Thomas Fordham Institute. In 2011, the Ohio Department of Education made it one of 122 "Schools of Promise.'' Teachers and educators from across Concepts School were just in Cleveland in March for the network's annual STEM conference. On May 30, Eric Waldo, executive director of Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative, spoke at the school's graduation ceremony.
The Indianapolis Business Journal quoted a spokeswoman from an Indianapolis school, who said agents requested documents that were part of an audit the U.S. Department of Education was conducting of federal "e-rate'' grant programs.
"Earlier this week we were asked to provide information to U.S. Department of Education officials as part of a larger federal audit of e-rate technology grants," the school official said in a statement.
"Those officials indicated they are auditing the funds dispersed to various schools to verify that work paid for with e-rate grants was completed as reported.''
Plain Dealer reporter Patrick O'Donnell contributed reporting for this story.
- See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/fbi-serves-search-warrant-dayton-school/ngHts/?ecmp=social_20140610_25688436#sthash.UJ1qwP1L.dpuf
http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/fbi-serves-search-warrant-dayton-school/ngHts/?ecmp=social_20140610_25688436
