Former law school CFO takes theft plea; he will get probation and owe $24K in restitution
A former chief financial officer of Barry University’s law school in Orlando, Florida, has taken a plea in a grand theft case.
John LaTorre, 57, had been accused last year of charging $50,000 in personal expenses on a corporate American Express account for the institution and of writing another $50,000 in university checks to himself since starting work at the private Catholic school in 2014. He pleaded guilty to a second-degree grand theft charge.
Under the plea deal outlined in documents filed earlier this month in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, he is to get 10 years of probation and pay $24,838 in restitution, reports the Orlando Sentinel.
He has already repaid $5,000 and will make payments of at least $175 a month toward the balance due.
Contacted by the newspaper, LaTorre declined to discuss his case but called recent months “a real hard chapter” in his life and said, “I’m glad it’s over.”
His lawyer, Deborah Carpenter-Toye said part of the problem was a communication disconnect between those in charge of the law school and the board of trustees.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Former law school CFO charged with using work AmEx card to pay $50K in personal bills”
