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It almost sounds too bizarre to be true. However, as reported by CBS and NBC, a former School Board Member of Miami-Dade is accused of stealing $100,000 worth of vacations, merchandise, and groceries using her school district credit cards.
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Charges of Fraud and Theft
Credit: Disney
The ex-board member, Lubby Navarro, once held the seat of the board’s vice chair. But on Thursday (January 11), she was arrested on charges of organized fraud and grand theft.
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The 49-year-old was initially held on a $2 million bond, but it was lowered to $100,000.
Credit: Miami-Dade Corrections
According to prosecutors, Navarro used district credit cards to purchase “everything from bananas to Lysol, bras, Halloween costumes, decorations for her home, a couch, and laser hair removal.”
Credit: Inside the Magic
Her purchases also include money spent at retail stores such as Walmart, Office Depot, and Brandsmart. Surveillance footage shows Navarro allegedly purchasing the items in question.
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In addition to the many purchases she made at the above stores, she bought many appliances, including a commercial-grade refrigerator, chest freezer, wine chiller, and an espresso machine.
Travel Expenses
Navarro is also accused of spending over $9,000 on travel. These include flights, hotels, car rentals, and meals to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas.
According to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, she also paid for her then-boyfriend’s family to go to Walt Disney World Resort.
Credit: Disney
“Every dollar stolen and spent by Ms. Navarro is a dollar taken from our school system and therefore stolen from our children and diminishing their possibility of a better future,” Fernandez Rundle stated. “She knew better than to have gone down this very pathetic path.”
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In response to the charges, Navarro’s attorneys claimed her arrest was a “brazen disregard for fairness and the Constitution.” She has pled not guilty to the charges.
The former school board official could face three to 55 years in prison if convicted.
