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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, March 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 27, 2004 Retired shop teacher indicted on theft charges By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A retired North Medford High School shop teacher was indicted by a Jackson County grand jury last week on two counts of felony theft for allegedly stealing from the school district. Skip Samuel Magee, 54, a 22-year Medford teacher, is accused of submitting expense receipts totaling about $3,000 for two separate trips that were not legitimate school business. "He stole from you and I," said county Deputy District Attorney Tim Barnack. "We’re the ones who paid the money." Magee’s attorney, David Orf, declined to comment on the case, and Magee could not be reached for comment. Magee received approval from the district to travel to a Kansas City Vocational and Industrial Clubs of America competition in June 2002, but was required to bring at least one student along with him. A student that had been scheduled to go backed out because of family commitments. Advertisement "He didn’t take any kids," said sheriff’s Detective Dan Hobbs, who investigated the case. "He took his wife." His wife bought her own plane ticket, but the investigation discovered Magee didn’t register for the conference. The conference lasted about four days, but Magee spent more than a week, June 21- 29, in Kansas City, the indictment said. Magee, who left the district in spring 2003, submitted expenses for that trip amounting to about $2,000. The second count alleges Magee went to a conference in Kansas City in 2001, but then made a side trip to St. Louis that wasn’t for district business. This trip lasted from June 21 to 30. He submitted expenses of about $900 for the St. Louis excursion. Hobbs said the school district asked him to investigate other alleged improprieties, some of which related to Magee’s running of the print shop. However, Hobbs said many of these problems occurred prior to the three-year statute of limitations for theft. "I told them I would only look at blatant up-front things that I can prove," he said. The district did much of the leg work during the investigation, combing through documents and receipts. "They’re my victim," said Hobbs of the district. "They said, ‘Please come down and we’ll cooperate fully.’ They did a lot of internal research." Hobbs said the money used by Magee came from federal grants, the Southern Oregon Education Service District and Medford schools. Barnack said $3,000 might not seem like a lot of money, but the first degree theft charges apply to any amount over $750. "We file on cases of $800 or $900," he said. "He’s just treated like all those other cases." The maximum penalty that Magee could face from these charges, said Barnack, is five years in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. However, considering the nature of the crime, Barnack said the penalty will more likely be a maximum 20 days, or potentially some kind of community service. "He has to be held accountable for spending our money," said Barnack. School district officials, including school board member Mike Moran, said they couldn’t comment on personnel matters, referring any questions to attorney Tim Gerking, who represents the district. Gerking, however, was out of the country this week. Magee, who will be arraigned on March 16, often traveled with students to various conferences and competitions, including the Vocational and Industrial Clubs of America or the Oregon Skills Olympics. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times