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Taylor’s Special Audit Leads to Criminal Charges

William DiCianni arraigned for writing bad checks, forgery, grand theft and money laundering

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Lucas County -

State Auditor Mary Taylor’s special audit of the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo (PASMT) reported that William DiCianni and his wife Kari, the former executive director, could not justify the use of $119,393 in taxpayer money.  William DiCianni, whose role and authority at PASMT is not clear, was arraigned today for passing bad checks, forgery, grand theft and money laundering. 

“I am pleased to see that the criminal proceedings for the PASMT are moving forward,” said Taylor.  “The special audit showed that tax dollars were misused by school leaders.  Those that abuse the public’s trust and manipulate the system for their benefit should be held accountable for their actions.”

The complete audit report revealed that William DiCianni distributed paychecks to students that were larger than the amount justified by timesheets.  Students stated that they would receive their paycheck, cash the check and then return the money to William DiCianni.  He would then give the student a portion of the cash for their work.  It is unknown what the remaining money was used for and the audit states that William DiCianni could not account for $48,250.

PAMST closed at the end of the 2006 – 2007 school year.  PASMT’s sponsor, The Ohio Council of Community Schools, requested the special audit on January 30, 2007.  The special audit began on February 16, 2007.  Auditors reviewed financial information from July 1, 2006 through February 9, 2007. 
 
The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).

A full copy of the audit is available online at www.auditor.state.oh.us.