CNN) — Twelve Los Angeles County employees stole thousands of textbooks from school districts to supply them to a buyer, who paid them bribes, court records show.
The buyer, who was also indicted, allegedly paid out $200,000 in bribes for the books.
Prosecutors say the alleged thefts occurred in four financially-strapped Los Angeles school districts.
“Taking books out of the hands of public school students is intolerable — especially when school employees sell them for their own personal profit,” L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey said.
The school employees were recruited for the two-year-long scheme by Corey Frederick, a Long Beach book buyer, prosecutors said.