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Ex-Gilbert school superintendent faces 18 counts of fraud

Gavel court AP photo
Posted at 2:50 PM, Jul 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-23 17:50:16-04

PHOENIX — A former suburban Phoenix school district superintendent accepted money in exchange for awarding building contracts to certain vendors, according to an Arizona Auditor General report.

The report, which was released Thursday, led to Dr. Angela Denise Birdwell, former Higley School District superintendent in Gilbert, being indicted earlier this month on felony charges involving fraud.

Her housemate and two vendor employees were also indicted.

Birdwell faces 18 charges, including misuse of public monies and conflict of interest.

The report found evidence that while superintendent in 2012, Birdwell accepted personal checks from an unlicensed architect.

That architect won a contract to build two schools.