An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for a former Brennemann Elementary School principal after she failed to show up for her sentencing in an overtime kickback scheme.
Sarah Jackson Abedelal, 61, had been scheduled to be sentenced at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis. When the case was called, however, her lawyer, Jonathan Bedi, told the judge she wasn’t in the courthouse and asked for more time.
“Why don’t you call her and see if she’s going to join us today?” Ellis told Bedi.
After about 20 minutes, Bedi returned to the courtroom and asked to update the judge in sidebar. Ellis then told the parties to reconvene in the afternoon to allow time for a well-being check.
When court resumed at 1 p.m., Bedi told the judge a family member had gone to Abedelal’s home but was unable to locate her, and he had no further information on her whereabouts.
Ellis said she was issuing a warrant for Abedelal’s arrest and re-set the case for sentencing Wednesday afternoon.
Abedelal was charged in July 2021 in a 10-count wire fraud indictment alleging a seven-year scheme to have employees file for overtime they didn’t work and kick back at least $200,000 to her, which she allegedly used for her own purposes including for her car and her student loans, according to charges.
Abedelal is one of six defendants — including two of Abedelal’s underlings — ensnared in the case, which also involved an alleged scheme to falsify orders for school supplies to provide iPhones, iPads and prepaid gift cards to school officials for personal use.
Abedelal pleaded guilty to a single wire fraud count nearly three years ago. Prosecutors are seeking a 38-month prison sentence, arguing she “diverted critical funds meant to further children’s education away from a school and school district that were already having financial difficulties in order to line her pockets.”
Among the personal items she bought with the stolen funds were a Tiffany’s bracelet, gold hoop earrings, clothes, a Chanel bag, Jimmy Choo shoes, and perfume, prosecutors said.
Abedelal’s attorneys, meanwhile, have asked for six months behind bars. In a recent court filing, Abedelal’s lawyers said she has a history of mental issues including bipolar disorder and depression, and they asked she be placed in a treatment program if she is incarcerated. “]
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
