California Woman Indicted for $3.5M Theft from Hempstead Schools

Prosecutors say the 66-year-old made no effort to return the stolen funds.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:38pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a bank deposit slip or withdrawal receipt, the details obscured by the harsh lighting and dramatic shadows, conceptually representing the theft of school funds.A recent wave of email-based fraud has exposed the vulnerability of school districts and other organizations to having critical funds siphoned away.Mineola Today

A 66-year-old California woman named Donna Eckert has been indicted on grand larceny charges after prosecutors say she stole $3.5 million from the Hempstead Union Free School District in New York. Eckert is accused of withdrawing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the school district's bank account after a forged email was used to transfer the funds to an account under her control.

Why it matters

This case highlights the vulnerability of school districts and other organizations to email-based fraud schemes, as well as the challenges in recovering stolen funds. The theft deprived the Hempstead school district of critical resources meant for students.

The details

According to prosecutors, in January 2024 a forged email was sent to the Hempstead school district, appearing to be from the finance director of a public charter school, requesting that $3.5 million be wired to a new bank account. The district, believing the email to be legitimate, transferred the funds to an account belonging to Eckert. Over the next two weeks, Eckert was seen on surveillance footage making multiple cash withdrawals and deposits totaling $338,000 from the stolen funds.

  • On January 31, 2024, the Hempstead school district wired $3.5 million to the account controlled by Eckert.
  • On February 2, 2024, Eckert was seen on surveillance footage withdrawing $25,000 from the account.
  • On February 5, 2024, Eckert withdrew $313,000 from the account.
  • On February 14, 2024, the school district's IT department discovered the finance director's email had been hacked and the transfer request was forged.
  • On March 10, 2026, Eckert was arrested by Escondido police and extradited to New York on April 1, 2026.

The players

Donna Eckert

A 66-year-old resident of Escondido, California who is accused of stealing $3.5 million from the Hempstead Union Free School District.

Anne Donnelly

The Nassau County District Attorney who is prosecuting the case against Eckert.

James Polk

The attorney representing Donna Eckert, who says the case has been 'jarring' for his client who has no prior criminal record.

Hempstead Union Free School District

The school district in New York that was the victim of the $3.5 million theft.

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What they’re saying

“Ms. Eckert is 66 years old. She has never been arrested, has absolutely no criminal record. So this whole thing has been pretty jarring for her.”

— James Polk, Attorney for Donna Eckert

“This defendant made no attempts to return the millions of dollars that were wrongfully transferred into an account she controlled. Instead, she made multiple cash withdrawals for her own personal use, siphoning away educational resources meant for our students.”

— Anne Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney

What’s next

Eckert is due back in court on April 21, 2026 and could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

The takeaway

This case highlights the vulnerability of school districts and other organizations to sophisticated email-based fraud schemes, as well as the challenges in recovering stolen funds that are quickly withdrawn. It underscores the need for robust cybersecurity measures and verification protocols to protect against such theft of critical educational resources.