Dr. Shawn Williams, a former administrator at the MINA Charter School in Sanford and a one-time Democratic chairman of the Lee County Board of Education, was charged Tuesday with three counts of embezzlement, the Sanford Police Department confirmed Wednesday.
Williams last made headlines in June 2023, when it was revealed that he’d been suspended as the school’s lead administrator pending an investigation into unspecified human resources and financial matters.
Major Vinnie Frazer of the Sanford Police Department said the three counts of embezzlement are for allegedly taking more than $100,000 in school funds, for allegedly changing passwords to school accounts and for allegedly taking files that belonged to the school.
Frazer said the school reported the embezzlement in July 2023 and Williams was indicted by a grand jury on September 9. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office served the warrant on Tuesday. Frazer said the investigation is ongoing and further charges are possible.
Sometime after his suspension, MINA and Williams parted ways, although the circumstances were unclear at the time of this writing. Later, the school changed its name to Rising Stars Academy.
In addition to his work in education, Williams had been involved as a pastor with God’s Promise Church. He was on the Lee County Board of Education from the late 2000s until 2012, and ran again unsuccessfully in 2014.
Williams was placed in the Lee County Jail under $600,000 secured bond.
