Former Indianapolis teachers union chief gets 16 months

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The former president of the Indianapolis Education Association has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $100,000 from the union.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt handed down the sentence to Rhondalyn Cornett, 55, of Indianapolis, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler, announced Tuesday.

Cornett wrote checks from the union's bank account and used the union's debit card for personal expenses and to withdraw cash, prosecutors said.

Cornett became the president of the Indiana Educators Association, a division of the Indiana State Teachers Association, in 2013. The union represents the teachers in the Indianapolis Public Schools, the largest school district in Indiana.

The embezzlement scheme began in 2014 and lasted until her resignation in 2018. She stole over $154,000, prosecutors said.

The Indiana State Teachers Association assumed control of the Indianapolis union's financial operations after learning of the embezzlement.