A Kentucky man involved in a scheme to defraud Boone County Schools has been sentenced. Federal prosecutors say 65-year-old Jesse Marks of Rush was given five years of probation, including 18 months of house arrest, and must repay nearly $3.5 million.
His co-conspirator, former Boone County Schools maintenance director Michael David Barker, was sentenced earlier this week to almost three years in prison and owes more than $3.4 million.
Prosecutors say that from 2020 to 2023, the two conspired to overbill the school district for cleaning supplies Marks never delivered — with Marks admitting that about 80% of the invoiced products didn’t exist. The pair split the profits, often exchanging cash in envelopes.