MD school employee charged with theft from county school system

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A Worcester County Public Schools employee has been charged with felony theft over $100,000 and more regarding misuse of a credit card issued to her to purchase items for the school system’s use.

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, III, announced a criminal information has been filed in the Circuit Court for Worcester County, Maryland, charging Denise R. Shorts with felony theft over $100,000, embezzlement, and misconduct in office.

According to the charges filed April 14, Shorts worked for Worcester County Public Schools from 1989 until early 2026. Shorts held different positions throughout her tenure with WCPS, most recently serving as the chief academic officer, also known as the assistant superintendent, and as the WCPS Title I grant coordinator, which began in 2014.

Shorts oversaw the Title I grant, which is a grant intended to provide extra funding to school districts with low-income families. In this role, Shorts was permitted to make purchases on behalf of Title I schools, including on Amazon.com, using a Purchase Card, commonly referred to as a “P-Card”, a credit card issued to select WCPS employees to purchase materials for educational purposes and for the benefit of the school system.

According to the charging document, from 2019 through October 2025, Shorts used her P-Card to make $118,741.89 in personal purchases from Amazon and submitted invoices she physically altered in support of those purchases. Specifically, Shorts printed her actual Amazon receipt and a fake Amazon receipt. Shorts cut out the item description or shipping address from the fake receipt, and taped it over the actual Amazon receipt, copied the altered receipt, and submitted the altered receipt in support of her P-Card purchases.

Shorts falsely indicated that $84,365.82 of the purchases made from Amazon were to benefit Title I schools, which resulted in that amount being deducted from the Title I grant intended to support students of low-income families. According to the charging document, Shorts purchased thousands of dollars in pool equipment, clothing, make-up, hair and skin care, and other personal items using her P-Card. She also purchased materials and equipment for a learning center partially owned by her, and furnishings for her vacation home in Florida.

During a routine audit by the Office of Legislative Audits, discrepancies with Shorts’s P-Card were discovered. In response, Shorts allegedly submitted fake personal credit card statements to claim that the purchases identified by OLA were actually made using her own credit card.

“Officials entrusted with the administration of valuable community resources intended for the education of needy children have a responsibility to act with integrity. Our Office is committed to holding accountable any individuals who are found to have abused such positions of trust,” said State Prosecutor Howard.

Reporting by Keith Demko, Salisbury Daily Times. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.