‘Self-serving’ bookkeeper steals more than $300,000 from high school, Florida cops say

A high school bookkeeper racked up more than $300,000 in credit card purchases — on the school’s dime, Florida police say.

Elvis Raymond Gray, 52, was arrested on a felony fraud charge Monday, Aug. 12, after he’s accused of stealing thousands of dollars in the yearslong, “self-serving” scheme, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Investigators said Gray was the sole bookkeeper at Hardee High School in Wauchula when money started to go missing, prompting an investigation.

From 2016 until 2021, he used the school’s credit card to make unauthorized purchases for himself, according to the department.

“The investigation also found the school’s petty cash fund was being fraudulently deposited into Gray’s personal accounts and used for personal purchases,” the agency said in an Aug. 13 news release. “To cover the missing funds, he manipulated deposit slips and receipts.”

Authorities said they reviewed Gray’s credit card statements and compared them with other records, including his personal accounts and bookkeeping records for the school.

In all, investigators believe he stole more than $300,000 from Hardee High School, according to the release.

It’s not clear if the Gray still works for the school district.

McClatchy News reached out to the Hardee County School District for comment Aug. 13 and was awaiting a response.

Wauchula is about a 70-mile drive southeast from Tampa.

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