A former Valley Academy for Career and Technical Education superintendent and a former Arizona Department of Education study director have been accused of the misuse of public monies and fraudulent schemes.
Both Lois Lamer, former VACTE superintendent, and Dennis Fiscus, former Department of Career and Technical Education programs of study director, were indicted with felony charges following an investigation by the Arizona Auditor General.
Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the two had allegedly conspired to divert thousands of dollars in federal Carl D. Perkins grant money that had been awarded to VACTE for personal use, according to the Arizona Auditor General.
The investigation discovered, that on three separate occasions between Dec. 19, 2013, and Nov. 20, 2015, Lamer, at Fiscus’ direction, created false documents in order to deposit a total of $7,500 in federal grant funds into her personal business account, which she then returned to Fiscus.
Fiscus had been employed with the Department of Career and Technical Education since 1994. In 2006, he became responsible for awarding the Perkins grant money to local educational institutions to be used for career and technical education. In 2015, Fiscus was fired from his job after the department discovered that he had awarded excessive amounts of the fiscal year 2011 Perkins grant money to VACTE. Because of VACTE’s small size, it should have been awarded $120,000 in Perkins grants, and Fiscus reportedly awarded the school $467,039. He also allegedly inappropriately involved himself in the day-to-day operations of VACTE, including spending school money.
Lamer began working at VACTE in 2002 as a career and technology education programs director. She was promoted to superintendent/CEO in 2011 before she resigned on March 27, 2016, citing health issues as the reason for her departure. In addition to her job at VACTE, Lamer provided consulting services through her business, Life Long Learning. While the AAG was aware of this business, she allegedly failed to disclose her secondary employment to VACTE.
In March 2001, Lamer opened a personal business checking account for LLL. According to the AAG, Lamer admitted that Fiscus had directed her to deposit Perkins money that he had awarded to the school into her LLL account and then issued a total of 18 checks, totaling $10,219, from the account to Fiscus between January 2010 to April 2015.
Between Dec. 19, 2013, and Nov. 20, 2015, Lamer allegedly issued six checks totaling $5,905 and obtained a $14,407 cashier’s check and then closed the account. After closing the account, she reportedly issued the $14,407 cashier’s check to the National Association for Career and Technical Education Information with a note enclosed that stated: “I understand that you are expecting this and have already discussed the disbursement of these funds with your Past President,” according to the AAG.
The past president of NACTEI at the time was Fiscus, and board members of the association reportedly told the AAG that he had told them the money was for “his expenses.”
The accusations come only two years after VACTE’s former business manager, Celestia “Celest” Ziemkowski, was indicted on charges of fraudulent schemes and artifices, violation of duties of a custodian of public monies, fraudulent schemes and practices, theft, forgery and computer tampering for allegedly using her position to steal approximately $30,500 of school funds in October 2019.
Both Lamer and Fiscus face five felony counts related to the misuse of public monies, fraudulent schemes and artifices, and fraudulent schemes and practices. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mary Harriss.
