Sales rep charged in fraud scheme at Brennemann Elementary School

The alleged fraud at the North Side’s Brennemann Elementary School has led to more federal charges this week, this time for a sales representative for a Chicago Public Schools vendor.

Debra M. Bannack, 62, of Schaumburg, has been charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud in an indictment by a grand jury Monday. She is accused of participating in a scheme to fraudulently deliver iPhones, iPads and prepaid gift cards to administrators and others at the school for personal use, allegedly cheating CPS out of $75,000.

Already facing charges in federal court are former Brennemann Principal Sarah Jackson Abedelal, former business manager William Jackson and former Assistant Principal Jennifer McBride. Federal prosecutors first revealed the scheme involving Bannack in a separate indictment last month. The company Bannack worked for, Warehouse Direct, is identified only as “Company A” in the indictment.

A defense attorney for Bannack was not listed in court records Tuesday afternoon. A person who answered a phone number listed for Bannack claimed not to be the person under indictment.

The new indictment alleges that Abedelal, Jackson and other CPS employees would order items for their personal use from Bannack and her company, and the company would supply those items. Abedelal, Jackson and other CPS employees would then allegedly submit bogus paperwork claiming to order legitimate supplies like paper, ink and toner; and they would allegedly submit false invoices from Bannack and a colleague seeking payment for those supplies.

Bannack and her unnamed colleague delivered the iPhones, iPads and more than $40,000 in prepaid gift cards to Abedelal and other CPS employees, according to the indictment. All told, Abedelal, Jackson, Bannack and others stole about $75,000 from CPS, it said.