A former Lee County Schools employee has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $200,000 from the school district.
Jordan Allred, 37, entered guilty pleas Monday to four felony counts of embezzlement. Allred previously worked as an assistant finance officer for Lee County Schools.
Sanford Police arrested Allred in March 2025 after investigators accused her of taking $190,588 from the school system.
Probation, Restitution and Jail Time Ordered
Judge Winston Gilchrist imposed a suspended sentence of 18 to 51 months. That means Allred will avoid serving the active prison sentence if she successfully completes the conditions ordered by the court.
Those conditions include five years of supervised probation, full repayment of the $190,588 and 135 nonconsecutive days in jail. Allred’s probation officer will determine the schedule for serving the jail time.
Allred paid $35,000 toward the restitution during Monday’s court proceedings. That leaves more than $155,000 still to be repaid to the school district.
If Allred successfully completes three years of supervised probation and satisfies the court’s requirements, she may be transferred to unsupervised probation for the remaining two years.
Former Employee Apologizes
Allred’s attorney, Chas Post, said his client apologized for the harm her actions caused Lee County Schools, local taxpayers and her family.
Lee County Assistant District Attorney Emily Everest prosecuted the case, while Gilchrist presided over the proceedings.
The guilty plea closes the criminal prosecution that began when Sanford Police announced Allred’s arrest in March 2025. The restitution and probation requirements will continue for several years as the district works to recover the missing money.
Public Money at the Center of the Case
Because the money belonged to a public school system, the case has attracted attention from parents and taxpayers throughout Lee County. Public school finance employees are entrusted with managing money used for classroom operations, employee compensation, student services and other district needs.
The sentence allows Lee County Schools to seek full recovery of the money while requiring Allred to serve jail time and remain under court supervision.
Failure to comply with the terms of probation could result in additional court action, including the possible activation of the suspended prison sentence.
Source: Original reporting by Gordon Anderson for The Rant.
