A former Hamilton school board superintendent — now a high-ranking Toronto school board official — faces fraud charges, and a local vice-principal forgery-related charges, after a lengthy police investigation.
Patrick Rocco, 57, of Fonthill is charged with three counts of fraud under $5,000, making a forged document and using a forged document based on “credit card transactions,” Hamilton police say.
He and Patrick Elliott, 46, of Niagara Falls are also charged with two counts of making a forged document, two counts of using a forged document and two counts of transferring a forged document.
Police state that the fake documents were submitted to the U.S State Department “relating to citizenship for personal gain.”
Detective Sgt. Greg Doerr said the U.S. state department may now conduct their own investigation into the charges.
None of the charges has been proven in court.
Rocco left the Hamilton board in September 2015 for a job in Toronto. He’s now an executive superintendent of employee services at the Toronto District School Board.
Rocco left the Hamilton board in September 2015 for a job in Toronto. He’s now an executive superintendent of employee services at the Toronto District School Board.
While the police and internal board investigations continue, Elliott, a vice-principal in Hamilton, is “not actively on the job” but is still being paid, said Todd White, chairman of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
“Given his role there’s only so much you can do from home,” he said.
The Toronto board said Rocco is also on home assignment while the board reviews the allegations.
Read the full story over at CBC News.
