Former Strongsville Schools Employee Sentenced For Theft

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Former Strongsville Schools maintenance worker Robert Schwerman was sentenced Tuesday to nine months in prison for stealing equipment from the district. Since his indictment, the school system has been working to improve its security protocols.

Superintendent Cameron Ryba said Schwerman has made restitution to the district, and the Strongsville Schools have implemented new security protocols to prevent future thefts. Schwerman stole approximately $64,000 of goods from his former employer.

In May, a search warrant was executed at Schwerman's house in Lorain County, where officials say they found much of the stolen property, including an upgraded John Deere utility vehicle valued at about $23,600. The recovered equipment was eventually auctioned off to help pay off Schwerman's debt to the district.

Post-auction, Schwerman still owed about $44,000 to the district. He has since repaid that debt, district officials said.

Since the indictment against Schwerman was announced earlier this year, the Strongsville Schools have been revamping its controls and verification process for orders and payments. School system officials have also completed a full inventory of the district's assets and implemented updated inventory tracking protocols, Ryba said in an email.

"In addition to the state fraud reporting system, the District has created an internal fraud hotline for employee and community reporting. Through these efforts, we have strengthened District controls to further reduce potential risks moving forward," Ryba said.

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