Former DPS principal Stanley Johnson gets plea deal in corruption case

Another former DPS administrator pleads guilty to stealing money aimed at helping students get the materials they need to learn.

FOX 2: "Hey Stanley Johnson, any comment, you don't have anything to say to parents and students in Detroit Public Schools?"

Former DPS principal Stanley Johnson was a man of few words walking out of court Wednesday afternoon after pleading guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.

Johnson: "No comment sir."

Johnson is one of several former principals and administrators taking plea deals in the kickback scheme that investigators say was organized by vendor Norman Shy.

The scheme as a whole stole millions from Detroit Public Schools. Between July of 2009 and June of 2014, Johnson chose Norman Shy as a supplier for books, paper and other materials at Hutchinson Elementary/Middle School where Johnson worked as a principal.

In court, Johnson testified saying that he signed fraudulent invoices between him and Shy for items that were never delivered, saying Shy paid him in kick back checks.

Investigators says over five years, Johnson received a little more than $84,000 in kickbacks.

FOX 2: "You don't have anything to say to that $84,000 you just plead guilty to? Nothing you care to say to the parents, the students at all? You were principal, for how long?"

Johnson also stated in court that he didn't know other principals had been involved, until charges came down on him.

He only had one comment when FOX 2 confronted him.

FOX 2: "So you're just going to walk away and not give the parents, the students who trusted you for years, without any kind of explanation? Charges you just plead guilty to? Something? You've already pleaded guilty sir."

Johnson: "No comment."

FOX 2: "And that's how you want to leave it with parents and students in the city of Detroit?"

Johnson: "They know who I am."

FOX 2 took that comment to parents who have children who attend Hutchinson.

"We thought we did know who he was," said Marquetta Chestnut, a parent of a child who attends Hutchinson. "But we don't know what people do when we're not in their sights.

"I'm just hurt and I hate what these kids are going through, DPS is already going through enough. For these kids not to have what they need, it's just hurting our kids."

Stanley Johnson is facing between 30 and 37 months behind bars, and he would have to pay back that $84,000 in restitution. He'll be back in court in September for sentencing.