Barre, Vermont- A man is facing up to 20 years in prison after police say he stole from property taxpayers in Washington County, Vermont.
Casey Harrington, 39, of Barre, is accused of stealing from the local, public and high school where he worked. On Thursday, he pleaded not guilty at Vermont Superior Court in Barre to embezzlement and concealing stolen property
U32 School Superintendent Robbe Brook says Harrington had worked at the East Montpelier School as the maintenance director for three years.
"He would oversee the grounds and buildings at U32 and was responsible for all the purchasing and inventory, said Brook.
She says in September 2011 school employees started to notice that many items had gone missing. Items included tools, doors, lights and light poles. The materials were worth about $30,000.
When police took over the investigation, they found many of those same materials in Harrington's newly constructed home. They say the lights lining his driveway were the same as the ones in the school's parking lot. The light fixtures inside the home also appeared to be the same as those hanging in the school's gym.
"It just became apparent that perhaps some of the things he was purchasing for the school he was also using for his own personal use," said Brook.
As for employees at U32 who have the ability to make purchases with taxpayer money, Brook had this to say: "We will have a tighter procedure."
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