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Two more principals sentenced in Detroit Public Schools' kickback case

Posted at 6:29 PM, Sep 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-07 18:29:29-04

There was more fallout from the Detroit Public Schools bribery scandal as two more school leaders were sentenced for their part in the crime.

They included Ronnie Sims, a long lauded elementary and middle school principal, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in the DPS kickback scandal.

Explaining his theft of $59,000 in district dollars, Sims told the judge he caved to peer pressure to participate in swindling the district out of $2.7 million by way of phony invoices.

Those bogus purchases, signed by principals and administrators, were all funneled through fraudulent vendor Norman Shy.

Shy himself got 5 years in prison Tuesday.

Principal Nina Graves-Hicks was also sentenced Wednesday, getting one year for taking $27,000 in gift cards from Mr. Shy.

One of the principals told the judge he did it because he felt left out.

There are 14 folks charged - 13 of whom pleaded guilty. More are set to be sentenced Thursday.