Ind. school worker charged with $109,000 theft

HAMMOND, Ind. -- Prosecutors say a northern Indiana woman stole at least $109,000 in federal money from a school district through her position as a school contractor.

Fifty-two-year-old Donna English of Michigan City was indicted Tuesday in federal court in Hammond on 23 counts of wire and mail fraud and theft of public funds.

The indictment alleges that English stole the money from Lake Station's River Forest Community School Corp. by submitting false invoices and information to a federal program that supports phone and Internet services in schools and libraries.

Prosecutors say she stole an unspecified amount from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by failing to provide services to the Michigan City Housing Authority, which paid her for work.

A message seeking comment was left Wednesday for her defense attorney.