One more defendant in the embezzlement scandal won't be going on trial. Rather than face a jury, Stephen Signorelli, who was indicted with grand larceny charges, recently pled guilty to such crimes. As a result, he has accepted a sentence that comes with a one to three-year prison term.

The plea-bargaining took place Tuesday, Jan. 17 in the chambers of Nassau County Court Judge Alan L. Honorof. Signorelli was initially charged with a nine-count indictment of grand larceny, one that carried a maximum 15-year jail sentence. At the plea-bargaining, Signorelli admitted to Judge Honorof that he stole money from the Roslyn School District.

Signorelli is the latest defendant to opt for a guilty plea for his role in the embezzlement scandal. Earlier, Dr. Frank A. Tassone, the longtime superintendent of the district, pled guilty to similar charges. Tassone's sentencing will take place on Feb. 28, where, in all likelihood, he will agree to a jail term of 4 to 12 years. Dr. Tassone has already agreed to make $2 million in restitution to the school district.

Signorelli was a principal with WordPower (WP), the software firm that supplied certain handbooks for the school district. At a press conference last June, then-Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon explained the indictments against Signorelli and Dr. Tassone.

"The joint indictment alleges that Signorelli, principal of WordPower (WP), which prepared and printed handbooks for the school district, padded invoices with the assistance of Tassone," Dillon said. "From 1999 to 2004, the total payments by the Roslyn School District to WP were approximately $572,000. From January 1999 until mid-October 2002, approximately $219,000 was transferred by Signorelli from the WP account to Tassone. Signorelli prepared and submitted many invoices listing charges for printing and other services. Many of the listed charges were fraudulent and were made up to pad the bills. These exorbitant bills would then be approved by Tassone, and then paid by the district. After Signorelli would receive payment he would transfer a substantial portion of the amount he received from the district to Tassone.

"As a result of these actions, the two have been indicted for Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, 4 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, and 4 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree," said Dillon. According to the statement released by Dillon's office, both Tassone and Signorelli shared the same residential address in Manhattan.

Tassone was originally arrested on July 6, 2004 by the DA's Special Investigations Bureau and charged with Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a Class B Felony, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He was indicted on the same charge and is accused of stealing approximately $2 million.

Other former Roslyn School District employees who have been indicted in the scandal are Pamela Gluckin and Debra Rigano.

Ms. Gluckin was arrested on June 1, 2004 by the DA's Special Investigations Bureau and was charged with Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a Class B Felony, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Ms. Gluckin has been indicted on the same charge and is accused of stealing approximately $4 million from the Roslyn School District.

Ms. Rigano, the niece of Gluckin, was arrested on October 18, 2004 by the DA's Special Investigations Bureau and was charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C Felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Ms. Rigano was indicted in June, 2005 on the same charge and is accused of stealing approximately $780,000 from the Roslyn School District. Last June, Dillon said that Ms. Rigano carried out this theft by drawing Roslyn School District checks for the payment of personal expenses on several credit card accounts.