In a shocking turn of events, the former principal of New Mission School in Hyde Park, Boston, has been charged with wire fraud. Naia Wilson, 60, is accused of misappropriating nearly $40,000 of school funds for personal use, including financing all-inclusive vacations to Barbados, Your Content has learned.
Wilson, who served as the Head of School from 2006 to 2019, allegedly manipulated her autonomy over the school’s budget to fund her lavish lifestyle. The charges include allegations of requesting checks in others’ names, fraudulently endorsing them, and depositing the funds into her personal account.
The tropical twist to the tale is Wilson’s alleged use of school funds to pay for two all-inclusive vacations to Barbados for herself and friends in 2016 and 2018. The checks were reportedly issued in the names of her travel companions, which she then allegedly used to cover the cost of the hotel and airfare.
The Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy stated, “We will not allow this type of gross abuse of authority and responsibility fly under the radar.” The charge of wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
Wilson has agreed to plead guilty and pay restitution. She will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. The Boston Public Schools were cooperative in this investigation.