Felony Fraud Charges Filed Against Former Escambia Schools Food Services Director

August 29, 2014

The State Attorney’s Office has filed felony fraud charges against Gail M. Szoboszlay, former Escambia County School District Director of Food Services, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins.

Szoboszlay was hired by the Escambia County School District in July 2012 at a salary of $82,875. She subsequently resigned in February 2013 after issues were raised regarding the circumstances of her hiring.

The criminal charges resulted from an investigation of Szoboszlay by the State Attorney’s Office, with assistance of the Escambia County School District, which revealed that she had submitted a fraudulent job application and resume to the Escambia County School District. According to court records, Szoboszlay falsified or misrepresented her previous work experience, education, and arrest history.

Szoboszlay was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,500 bond.

Assistant State Attorney Russ Edgar, who directed the investigation, will prosecute the case.

Editor’s note: Szoboszlay’s mugshot was not available from the Escambia County Jail Thursday night.

Comments

7 Responses to “Felony Fraud Charges Filed Against Former Escambia Schools Food Services Director”

  1. Matt on September 2nd, 2014 9:48 am

    @CountryBoy

    You should be ashamed of yourself! It’s terrible that you think it’s okay to lie about your education on an application when there is someone who spent the time and money to EARN their chance to get that job… Regardless of the fact that you can perform your job “as well as [your] co workers” you still stole that job opportunity from someone who actually deserves it!

  2. CountryBoy on August 30th, 2014 12:59 pm

    Well to let everybody know the truth … I have got more than one job ( good jobs ) and have lied on my application in reference to my education. I performed my job just as well as my co workers and nothing was ever said about that. That is the only thing I wasn’t truthful about though. I work for a major bank with no high school diploma so they don’t do good background checks at all. As far as that woman’s criminal record and working for the school board , they definitely should be more through in that case. I don’t think that a person with a bad criminal record should work around children. Idk what her criminal past exist of and I’m not judging but for a job position like that, she should have been more honest.

  3. Hmmm on August 30th, 2014 8:05 am

    Charlie, I totally agree with you… it is mind boggling to me how seriously overworked and underpaid those cafeteria workers are! Seems to me the outrageous salaries that they are paying the “upper echelon” need to be recalculated and paid to the ones that really do that thankless work, rather than to the ones just shuffling papers around and making policies….What a joke!

  4. charlie on August 29th, 2014 9:17 pm

    That fruit does look great , them fine people that put our children’s lunches together are awesome .,, not talking about the one mentioned in the above article ,same one that spend thousand upon thousands of dollars putting all school food service employees in heavy long sleeve black chef jacket ,STUPID!, I,m talking about the good ones that actually work in the kitchen, over worked and underpaid , while she raked in $82.875.. same old, same old , the people that work the hardest get payed the less. and the people that work the less get paid the most .

  5. Escambia County School Board Employee on August 29th, 2014 2:50 pm

    Here ’s my questions….1st why wasn’t a background check done on her? Everyone that does anything in the school has to have a background check. Subs, venders, you are not suppose to let venders in the building if they don’t have the correct badge. 2nd, what about the people who did the job interview and didn’t ask for the background check? Seems to me they are just as guilty.

  6. David Huie Green on August 29th, 2014 8:47 am

    Dishonest people out of government employment?
    Interesting idea
    Worth a try

  7. Ben Thar on August 29th, 2014 8:31 am

    I wasn’t really that interested in the story, but that’s one yummy-looking bowl of fruit. I’m hungry now.