Principal indicted in arson after car found ablaze, is state's 3rd this month to be accused

star ledger ^ | 05,21.08 | BRIAN T. MURRAY

[Coleus]

Another New Jersey school principal -- the third educator in a month -- has been indicted on car arson charges in Essex County as prosecutors crack down on suspected insurance fraud. The charges against Amanda Wright-Stafford, principal of the Lincoln Avenue Elementary School in Orange, come as cases of auto insurance fraud are growing nationally, according to experts who blame the souring economy. Wright-Stafford, 51, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on charges she faked the theft of her 2000 Honda Passport, which was found burning in East Orange in 2006. An indictment handed up in Superior Court in Newark charged her with aggravated arson, insurance fraud and attempted theft by deception.

Essex County prosecutors called it another disturbing case of "good people making bad choices," noting two educators were indicted April 28 in a nearly identical case. "We believe these otherwise law-abiding citizens do not understand they are committing a serious crime," Assistant Prosecutor Michael Morris said. Kenyatta O'Bryant, 36, a guidance counselor at Vailsburg Middle School in Newark, was indicted last month with Terrence Wilkins, 34, who has since resigned as principal of the Red Bank Middle School. They are charged with faking the theft and arson of Wilkins' car to help him avoid paying $9,000 in mileage fees on the leased vehicle. Prosecutors said the case against Wright-Stafford is unrelated. She is charged with trying to collect insurance on her car after it was found ablaze in East Orange just before 10 p.m. on Oct. 3, 2006. Prosecutors contend she filed a theft report in Newark on Oct. 9, claiming she parked the car on a Newark street before taking a trip to Jamaica and returned to discover it was gone.

[Coleus]

Her salary is $107,388 per year.

[BTHOtu]

If we paid teachers more, these type of things wouldn’t happen.

[elkfersupper]

Government employee, paid administrative leave, etc., etc.

This is the last we will hear of this.

[Tennessee Nana]

Detention for you...

Err..prison...

[rednek]

Teachers know what the job pays when they accept it. If it isn't enough, perhaps they should find a profession that pays.

regards - red

[Leisler]

Has to lease a Honda on a $100k/yr?

WTF

[Parley Baer]

“Another New Jersey school principal”

Corruption has no bounds in Jersey.

[river rat]

""We believe these otherwise law-abiding citizens do not understand they are committing a serious crime," ..."

Bull squat!

If they are indeed that stupid, then they are certainly too damned stupid to be earning over $100K as a "Civil Servant" involved in EDUCATING our children...

Fire the stupid ^%^%&^% and throw the book at him.

[dennisw]

Wally, as you know Dylan worked for many years with that graet ensemble, THE BAND. I have it on good authority that this particular principal was the inspiration for their classic, “Wheels on Fire”.

http://www.baristanet.com/2008/05/the_school_principal_and_the_b.php

[eastforker]

Stupid indeed. Don’t they know they are supposed to prick a pinhole in the fuel line and then drive it till it catches fire??

[ken21]

don’t just love it when the hyphenated crowd get themselves in a mess!

[the invisib1e hand]

hmm...you know, this makes me wonder...why aren’t more houses burning?

[csvset]

Car fires instantly ignite insurance fraud probes in Essex County, which deals with about 500 annually, compared with about 20 in the rest of the state.

Whole lotta burning going on around there.

"We believe these otherwise law-abiding citizens do not understand they are committing a serious crime,"

Caca ! That guy is a dumbass if he believes that.

[BTHOtu]

Sarcasm. Learn it. Live it.

[WVRockDJ]

Agreed. Being in the insurance claims business for years, anytime a car is stolen then burned, the first place we’d always look was back at the owner.

[bpjam]

Keeping up the long history of public corruption - Jersey Style!!!

(If it wasn’t for New Orleans, New Jersey would have held the crown as ‘most corrupt government in the US’ for the two decades straight)

[umgud]

Wright-Stafford, 51, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on charges she faked the theft of her 2000 Honda Passport, which was found burning in East Orange in 2006. An indictment handed up in Superior Court in Newark charged her with aggravated arson, insurance fraud and attempted theft by deception.

What could she have gained? Even if the ins company paid the car off, she'd either be out of a car or have to go buy another.

[eastforker]

Hint. It was paid for and steadily breaking down and she needed a down payment for a new one. At 6 years old probably just did have it paid for and could have been ragged out with little or no trade in value.

[Oztrich Boy]

Caca ! That guy is a dumbass if he believes that.

Maybe she was "nice" to him.

[CarryingOn]

“We believe these otherwise law-abiding citizens do not understand they are committing a serious crime,” Assistant Prosecutor Michael Morris said. Kenyatta O’Bryant, 36, a guidance counselor at Vailsburg Middle School in Newark, was indicted last month with Terrence Wilkins, 34, who has since resigned as principal of the Red Bank Middle School.”

In other words, there are some ignorant, criminal people teaching children to be what?