The former interim chief school financial officer for Montgomery Public Schools pleaded guilty to four felony counts related to stealing $291,367 from the school system, the Alabama attorney general announced Wednesday.
Brenda Palmer pleaded guilty to two felony ethics charges and two felony counts of lying to the attorney general’s Office about a matter under investigation, according to the announcement from Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Her trial was set to begin Monday, but instead she pleaded guilty to the counts against her. She will be sentenced as a habitual felony offender because of a previous first-degree theft of property conviction.
“Betraying the public’s trust is never acceptable and will not be tolerated in our state,” Marshall said in the announcement. “In this case, Mrs. Palmer’s brazen corruption and utter disregard for the law was astonishing. My office will continue to identify and prosecute those exploiting the public sector for personal gain.”