SHAKOPEE, Minn. — The former superintendent for Shakopee Public Schools has been charged on suspicion of using a district credit card to pay for trips, home electronics, Grand Ole Opry tickets, sports memorabilia, jewelry and other items.
Rod Thompson abused his district-issued credit card to buy items for personal use, the Shakopee Police Department said in a news release.
Twenty felony charges were filed Tuesday in Scott County District Court against Thompson, who faces accusations of theft by swindle, embezzlement of public funds and receiving stolen property.
A nearly six-month Shakopee Police Department investigation determined that Thompson made $73,642 in fraudulent purchases and reimbursements over five years, a news release from the department states.
“Our department conducted a fair, impartial and very thorough investigation into Mr. Thompson’s P-card usage,” Police Chief Jeff Tate said in the release. “I am very proud of our staff’s work on this case, which was extremely labor intensive and time consuming. This involved our entire investigations unit, which poured over copious amounts of financial records and conducted numerous interviews.”
The FBI also is continuing to investigate the case, Tate said.
“The allegations surrounding former Superintendent Thompson have taken their toll on the entire staff and community,” a district-issued news release states. “They are not only disturbing, but, if true, clearly reflect inappropriate conduct.”
The Shakopee School Board voted to terminate the district’s contract with Thompson, effective June 30. In addition, the district has taken several steps to update policy and procedure “to prevent future action by any employee similar to those alleged to have occurred with the former superintendent.”
Thompson left Detroit Lakes high school principal job to lead Greenway Public Schools in 2002 until he became superintendent for the St. Anthony-New Brighton district in 2006. He joined the Shakopee district in 2011.