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Convicted and sentenced
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A state district judge sentenced (March 17) former Ballinger ISD business office manager Janna Halfmann, 54, to the equivalent of seven years in prison after the judge found her guilty — following a trial — of embezzling $213,987.79 from the 839-student BISD by using district credit cards to pay for her personal expenses and for obtaining fraudulent overtime pay over a period of several years.

The judge also ordered Halfmann to repay the $213,987.79 she stole from the district as restitution, and rejected her attorney’s request that the restitution be reduced by the $100,000 the district received as an insurance settlement, and that she not receive prison time due to her health problems.

Records reflect BISD launched an investigation, which was joined by a Texas Rangers investigator, and the Ballinger police department, after the district’s superintendent received a telephone tip that possible payroll irregularities should be looked into.

More detailed background info is reported here.