Nationwide — Kenya Ward, a former employee at North Carolina Central University, a historically Black university in Durham, NC, has been charged with embezzling nearly $1 million from the school.Ward, who is 44-years old, allegedly took $900,284 from the school’s bookstore and food services department for three years, from January 2018 to April 2021.
At that time, Ward was working as the business and technology application analyst and office manager for the school’s Eagle Card, which students use to register for classes, check out books, pay for laundry services, purchase meals, and attend campus events.
She was arrested on one count of felony embezzlement of state property and was released on a $1 million unsecured bond.
However, Ward claims she is innocent and she doesn’t know why she is being accused of the crime. She also said she plans to plead not guilty.
Meanwhile, university officials confirmed Wade is no longer employed at the university. They believe that the issue has already been addressed completely but they have still “engaged an external firm to conduct a more extensive review and recommend additional security measures, procedural changes, or policy enhancements as warranted,” officials said in a statement, according to WRAL.