Investigators also found he used the money to pay for trips to Walt Disney World and spending sprees at the Disney Store.
Investigators also found he used the money to pay for trips to Walt Disney World and spending sprees at the Disney Store.
Investigators also found he used the money to pay for trips to Walt Disney World and spending sprees at the Disney Store.
TRINIDAD, Texas — A former East Texas school business manager was sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing over $300,000 and using the money to fund trips to Walt Disney World.
Brandon Delane Looney, 39, received a sentence of 24 months on Thursday after he pleaded guilty back in November 2024.
Documents say Looney embezzled more than $300,000 between 2017 and 2023 from Trinidad ISD in Henderson County. Investigators also found he used the money to pay for trips to Walt Disney World and spending sprees at the Disney Store.
It’s a federal crime to take money from an organization that receives more than $10,000 in federal funds annually, the news release said.
“Trinidad ISD is one of the poorest school districts in Texas and suffered adverse financial consequences as a result of Looney’s theft,” the news release said.
Prior to his guilty plea, Looney liquidated his assets and preserved them for the restitution by working with Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He sold his house in Vidor and other assets to preserve over $200,000 for Trinidad ISD.
The rest of the balance will be collectible for 20 years after the end of Looney’s incarceration.