Fraud Charges for Manatee School of Arts & Sciences President

BRADENTON, FL — The 43-year-old president of Manatee School of Arts & Sciences' board of directors was arrested on fraud charges Friday morning.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Lori Bergeron is accused of taking more than $27,000 in checks from the charter school. Detectives say she cashed six school checks between April 12 and June 30, exchanged them for cashier’s checks and then deposited them into her own banking account.

Bergeron was charged with scheme to defraud over $20,000 and was booked into the Manatee County Jail.

The sheriff’s office said the money was discovered missing when the 3700 32nd St. W. school in Bradenton conducted a recent audit.

Bergeron was being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bond Friday afternoon.

Booking photo courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office