Ex-Skiatook superintendent, OKC businessman plead guilty in federal court to conspiracy

TULSA - A former Skiatook superintendent and an Oklahoma City businessman have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud in federal court.

From around 2004 to 2010, former Skiatook Public Schools superintendent Gary Johnson did business with Rick Enos in exchange for "cash, tickets to college football games, and the costs of travel, food, lodging, and entertainment," according to court documents.

Johnson, employed with Skiatook from 2001 to 2010, gave Enos his school's business despite enormously inflated prices, sometimes reaching 400 percent above market value.

The scheme was discovered when an audit found the school district had been overcharged more than $570,000 for janitorial supplies and security equipment by a company owned by Enos.

Johnson and Enos already pleaded guilty to state charges. In July, a judge ordered Johnson and Enos to pay $657,197.21 back to the school district.

Because Skiatook receives on average more than $10,000 in federal grants and assistance every year, a federal indictment followed.

The pair formally pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and to corruptly solicit, accept, give and offer things of value" in a Tulsa federal court Friday.

The charge carries with it up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is expected Feb. 7.