Atlantic City Principal Charged with Theft and Official Misconduct

Credit: Press of Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY – An Atlantic City school principal was charged today with theft and official misconduct, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

Concluding a year-long investigation, Detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Official Corruption Unit served summons complaints this afternoon to Lakecia C. Hyman, 41, at her home on the 100 block of New Bridge Road, Egg Harbor Township, for the charges of:

• Official Misconduct—a crime of the 2nd degree, and
• Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Property Received—a 3rd degree crime.

The State alleges that, while serving in her capacity as Principal of the Uptown School Complex in Atlantic City, Hyman collected and retained over $10,000 in cash and checks intended for Uptown Complex fundraising accounts, and kept the money as her own.

Hyman was suspended from her employment with pay by the Atlantic County Board of Education in February 2014.

Hyman is scheduled for her first court appearance in Atlantic City Municipal Court on June 17, 2015 at 8:30 a.m.

A 2nd degree crime carries a potential penalty of 5-10 years of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison; the potential penalty for a 3rd degree conviction is 3-5 years in prison.

These charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged

defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ***

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.