TULSA, Okla. — The man trusted with making sure that Tulsa Public Schools’ bond money was spent correctly is now charged with stealing it.
Of course, bond money is the millions of dollars voters approve for improvements to the district.
WATCH: UNDERSTANDING THE ACCUSATIONS: Former TPS employee, two others accused of stealing bond money
Charles (“Chris”) Hudgins was the Executive Director of the TPS bond department.
During a news conference with Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, Gentner said Hudgins stole at least $780,000, keeping most of it and giving a portion to two others who allegedly helped them in the scheme, Gayle Gwinup and Thomas McKenna.
“We had members within the school board who were saying something is wrong here,” said Kunzweiler. “Why do we have such poor performance and such a high budget?”
“Public corruption, especially corruption that impacts children and voters, will not be tolerated,” said Drummond.
The three are charged with 27 counts of conspiracy to defraud a school district, embezzlement, and kickbacks.
How did the alleged scheme work?
Drummond says Hudgins billed the nearly $780,000 to Gwinup and McKenna’s company, Allied Engineering Group, for roofing jobs that were never done.
The two, in turn, are accused of funneling the majority of that money into Hudgins’ architectural firm, M & G Consulting.
Drummond says Gwinup and McKenna kept about $42,000 for themselves.
TPS officials were reportedly not aware that Hudgins had this company. Drummond says he ran the company on district time, using district resources.
McKenna allegedly used another company, Star Design Group, to continue the scheme after Gwinup retired.
“Every dollar stolen is a dollar that never became a safe roof, a repaired classroom, or a better learning environment for a Tulsa child,” said Drummond.
The charges are not a surprise to TPS. They stem from an audit by State Auditor Cindy Byrd and further investigation by the AG’s office.
2 News Oklahoma reported when Hudgins left the district in February of 2025, shortly after the audit’s release, and when TPS became aware of the allegations. In June of 2025, the board approved plans to sue Hudgins. However, board members tell 2 News that the AG’s office asked them to put the lawsuit on hold to avoid delays in the criminal investigation.
TPS Superintendent Doctor Ebony Johnson read a brief statement and said they are dedicated to the judicial process and getting the money back.
Both Kunzweiler and Drummond indicated the investigation is still ongoing, but did not want to go into further detail.
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