HCPSS Assistant Principal Sentenced For Credit Card Thefts
Patricia Kelly Murray will spend time in jail.
A Howard County high school assistant principal will spend 90 days in prison for stealing colleagues’ credit cards, according to a spokesman for the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Patricia Kelly Murray, 40, of Severna Park, pleaded guilty in June to stealing credit cards from a vice principal at Long Reach High School and a principal at Laurel Woods.
Prosecutors said Murray, who was an assistant principal at Howard High School, made eight purchases worth nearly $1,800 on Dec. 15 of last year using the vice principal’s card. In another instance, Murray used a credit card from the principal to “obtain gifts for her family.”
Judge Dennis Sweeney Thursday sentenced Murray to five years in prison, suspending all but 90 days. According to Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office spokesman Wayne Kirwan, Murray will spend the 90 days at the Howard County Detention Center, followed by three years of supervised probation.
According to Kirwan, Murray is also ordered to pay restitution to the credit card companies and pay all court costs and have no contact with the victims.
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This article has been edited.
Lottie Lipes
7:14 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Ms. Murray was an Asst.Principal at Howard High School at the time of the thefts.
Why even mention Harper's Choice Middle School as she didn't commit the crimes during her tenure at that school!
It would behoove the press to get their information straight. No one who works, lives near, or has students at Harper's Choice enjoys seeing the school's name in conjunction with a Crime like this one!
Brandie Jefferson
8:40 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Hi Lottie, thanks for the info. We've edited the article to reflect that she was working there at the time of the crimes.
Kelley Pitts
12:17 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
I believe she met the Laurel Woods principal while at Harper's and another charge that seems to have disappeared, perhaps from the plea deal was a victim while at Harper's. I do have children at Harper's and I am glad to know the outcome!