The former principal of a Catholic school in Pompano Beach was convicted Tuesday of arranging illegal “extra pay” totaling more than $230,000 over a period of nearly 10 years.
Lori Ann St. Thomas faces a maximum prison term of up to 30 years, but Broward Circuit Judge Tim Bailey allowed her to remain free on bond pending sentencing, which is set for next month.
Prosecutors said St. Thomas, 62, who was the principal of St. Coleman Catholic School from 2004 to 2024, improperly arranged for stipends on top of her salary starting in 2016 and ending when she left the school in 2025.
According to court records, someone reported St. Thomas to authorities in November 2024, accusing her of taking $238,196 in unauthorized payments from the school.
She allegedly received the extra unauthorized pay through direct deposit.
“Any extra pay would need to be authorized by the head father or superintendent,” the affidavit said. “No documentation of the authorization of the extra pay was ever found.”
Defense lawyer Tonja Haddad Coleman said she would “absolutely” appeal the verdict.
“We respect the jury’s hard work and the attention they paid to the case, but we are disappointed they did not see through the misrepresentations perpetrated by the archdiocese and rubber-stamped by the state attorney’s office,” she said. “It is our position that the evidence presented by the state at trial did not support that conviction.”
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.