SALT LAKE CITY -- Susan G. and John Ross, of Layton, held hands as they left the courtroom Friday following Susan Ross' guilty plea to charges of money laundering.
Susan Ross, dressed in a peach-colored blazer and blue flower-print skirt, appeared before U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups.
John Ross pleaded guilty Wednesday to "aiding and abetting" his wife in forging fraudulent copyright notices.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is recommending Susan Ross spend at least 27 months in federal prison, according to court documents.
Waddoups set Dec. 14 for a hearing to sentence Susan Ross.
No sentencing date has been set for John Ross, who said before the hearing he "could not make any comments" at this time.
Barbara Bearnson, chief of the U.S. attorney's criminal division, said Susan Ross is not getting off easy with the plea deal.
Together, John and Susan Ross agreed to pay Davis School District $350,115 in restitution, plus forfeit assets worth more than $1 million.
Government investigators said the couple bilked the school district out of $4.3 million over five years.
When asked about the difference, Bearnson said the Rosses are losing "a significant amount of money."
"We believe justice is vindicated by the conviction of Susan Ross as the primary participant in the scheme to defraud the Davis School District," Bearnson said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release that John Ross pleaded to a lesser offense.
The government took into account "various mitigating factors such as his deteriorating health and his role in the offense."
A sentencing date is pending for John Ross.
The Layton couple had worked for the Davis School District and had retired before being indicted in 2006 on 47 counts of mail fraud, money laundering, theft from a state agency and copyright infringement.
The two sold illegal photocopies of copyrighted books to another company, which in turn sold them to the district.
At times during Friday's hearing, Susan Ross's voice cracked as she answered the judge's questions.
According to court documents, Susan Ross, who was the director of federal programs for Davis School District, reached an arrangement with Research & Development, a company owned by two people who were longtime business associates.
They purchased the materials from Notable Educational Writing Services, a company Susan Ross owned. R&D kept a percentage of the gross sales price and paid the remaining amount to Notable Educational Writing Services, according to court documents.
"R&D's role in the transaction enabled (Susan Ross) to conceal the fact (she) was personally profiting from trans- actions with Davis School District," according to the documents.
The plea deal involves a single act, but the judge will consider all relevant conduct before making a sentencing decision.
Among the assets the Rosses agreed to forfeit are two vehicles and three homes in South Weber, Mountain Green and Layton.
Comments