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Former district worker pleads guilty to theft
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Janet Winkler Rice
A former Scottsdale Unified School District employee pleaded guilty to theft charges Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Janet Winkler Rice, 59, a former assistant to the district's legal counsel, was arrested in June on suspicion of forging checks and embezzling more than $300,000 from a district bank account.
In May, the Scottsdale Unified School District launched an investigation after its bank noticed an $18,000 check drafted on the district's insurance trust account being deposited into Rice's personal account. The district claimed the transferring of money began in November 2005, resulting in about $306,000 in stolen funds.
At the time of Rice's arrest, Scottsdale police said it appeared a gambling problem could have been a motive. Police said that after reviewing Rice's accounts, it was discovered that hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost at local casinos.
Rice was placed on administrative leave in May.
Rice's attorney and officials with the Scottsdale Unified School District could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.
Rice is expected to be sentenced in May.
ABC15 News contributed to this story.
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