Parma City School District board member arrested on felony charge

PARMA, Ohio (WOIO) - A board member of the Parma City School District on Wednesday was arrested and charged with a felony, according to Cuyahoga County Court documents.

Officials issued a warrant for 37-year-old Amanda Karpus, the board’s vice president, on Jan. 11 for charges related to forgery, court dockets say.

Court dockets indicate the alleged offense occurred Sept. 8, 2022.

The specificity of the charge has not been clarified; however, Ohio Revised Code notes charges related to forgery are anywhere between a fifth-degree and a second-degree felony.

Officials with the Parma Police Department said the case has been forwarded to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office in an update on Jan. 13.

There are allegations that Amanda Karpus misused a credit card that was the property of an athletic booster club where she was the president. When this was discovered, she allegedly created a forged document to cover up the fraudulent purchase. She is currently the Vice President of the Parma City School District Board of Education. Her case has been forwarded to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office for further action. A police report is not available at this time as the case is still pending. No further information is available at this time as this case remains under investigation.
Lt. Daniel Ciryak, Parma Police Department

The Parma City Schools released the following statement to 19 News:

“We are aware of an investigation into one of our members. We cannot comment on this matter as it is both personal and a pending legal matter. Our focus as a board is and will continue to be the success of our students and moving our school district forward.”

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.