Jacksonville elementary principal arrested on fraud charge

Nov. 27--A Jacksonville elementary school principal faces a felony fraud charge alleging he tried to bilk his insurance company out of slightly more than $16,000 by falsifying repair invoices for Hurricane Irma damage last year.

Principal Darrell Phillip Perry, of Timucuan Elementary School, is charged with insurance fraud less than $20,000. If convicted, Perry, 51 of Fleming Island, faces up to five years in prison, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said Monday in a news release.

Perry surrendered Nov. 16 at the Clay County Sheriff's Office in Green Cove Springs -- one day after a judge issued an arrest warrant for him. Subsequently released on his own recognizance, Perry is due back in court Dec. 12, records show.

He could not be reached for comment Monday.

Duval County Public School officials have reassigned Perry.

"We have the highest expectations of our educators. Mr. Perry has been reassigned to a role off campus, with no contact with students pending the outcome of our concurrent investigation," said Laureen Ricks, school district media relations supervisor.

Patronis said the investigation showed Perry in October 2017 submitted fraudulent and altered repair invoices to State Farm Insurance Company requesting $16,042 in reimbursements due to alleged damages to his home from Hurricane Irma. Investigators found that Perry altered two of the invoices and fabricated another for fake repairs that never occurred, Patronis said.

Teresa Stepzinski: (904) 359-4075

___

(c)2018 The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Visit The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) at www.jacksonville.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.