FORMER UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEE CONVICTED OF THEFT

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today the conviction of Romain Kim Johnson, 42, of Race Track Road in Bowie, for her misuse of University of Maryland credit cards in 2005. Johnson, who worked at the time as a clerk in the University’s Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, charged over $16,000 worth of personal purchases on her university credit cards, which had been entrusted to her for the sole purpose of making purchases on behalf of the University. Instead, she used the cards to purchase several desktop computers, laptops and related equipment, cell phones, automobile repair expenses, private school tuition, speeding ticket fees, clothing, and apartment rental charges.

Specifically, today Johnson pled guilty to Felony Theft (15 year maximum, $25,000 fine) before the Honorable Judge Sean Wallace in Prince George’s County Circuit Court. Sentencing has been set for August 11, 2006.

In her plea, Johnson admitted using her University cards improperly to pay for, among other things, her son’s private school tuition (at Good Counsel High School), car and apartment rental expenses for her boyfriend, and clothing for her boyfriend’s son. Campus Police executed a search warrant at her home on Race Track Road in Bowie and recovered some of the computer equipment. A stolen laptop was recovered from her son’s college dorm room.

The case was referred to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Attorney General’s Office by the University of Maryland, whose Campus Police had investigated the matter on a tip from the University’s Purchasing Department.