Explorer Charter School


BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- The former principal of Explorer Charter School, a Brevard County elementary and middle school, turned himself in at the Brevard County jail Tuesday. He's accused of stealing funds from the now-defunct school.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has also issued an arrest warrant for Jay Maer, the former finance director, who is also accused of stealing funds from the school. He was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Indian River County.

Eyewitness News was there when Ruben Rosario turned himself in to Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents at the Brevard County jail. The former principal is facing four counts of grand theft for stealing thousands of dollars from the charter school he ran in West Melbourne…

Rosario's finance director, Jay Maer, an ex-con, defended the school's bookkeeping as the district took over the school last spring. He is in even more trouble. He faces 46 charges, including grand theft and forgery. Investigators said he wrote checks to himself for all sorts of things, including coaching stipends, providing security at the school grounds and forging the principal's name.

"When in reality there was no work being done and no extra duties being performed," Ivey explained.

Investigators said they know as much as $100,000 was stolen, but there were so many financial records missing they may never know exactly how much was taken or whether the school would have survived if the money wasn't stolen.

The school's financial problems were disclosed last March and the Brevard County School District took over in April. The school was then shut down.

Maer's bond is set at $133,500. Rosario's bond is set at $12,000.

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