Another figure in the Roslyn School District embezzlement scandal has been given jail term.

Last Thursday, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that Stephen Signorelli was sentenced by Judge Alan Honorof to a term of incarceration of one-to-three years and to pay $219,000 in restitution for his involvement in the Roslyn School District Scandal.

In January, Signorelli pled guilty to grand larceny charges. He also admitted that he stole money from the school district. Signorelli was originally charged with a nine-count indictment of grand larceny, one that carried a maximum 15-year jail sentence.

At the time of his plea, District Attorney Rice recommended that Signorelli be sentenced to one-to-three years in prison for his role in an elaborate theft from the Roslyn School District.

Signorelli is the second defendant to be sentenced for his involvement in the scandal. Andrew Miller, the former accountant for the Roslyn School District, was sentenced in January to four months in jail and five years probation for his role in the theft. At the time of that sentence, District Attorney Rice recommended two to six years in prison for Mr. Miller.

"There is no more important trust than that of the citizens in their government," said District Attorney Rice. "Crimes that violate that trust will be prosecuted vigorously by my administration. For too long we have treated these crimes as lesser offenses. Under my watch that philosophy will change."

The last of the six major defendants with charges stemming from the Roslyn School District theft, John McCormick, pleaded guilty last week to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class C and E Felonies, respectively. McCormick is due back in court in front of Judge Honorof for sentencing April 27.

In addition, Monday, March 27 will be the sentencing date for both Dr. Frank A. Tassone and Pamela Gluckin, two of the more significant figures in the embezzlement scandal. That sentencing date replaces the postponed date of Feb. 28. It has long been expected that Dr. Tassone will receive a jail term of 4 to 12 years.

Recently, a group of prominent Roslyn area residents, all of them affiliated with several local civic associations, wrote an open letter to county officials, requesting that Dr. Tassone be given the "strongest sentence possible," adding that New York State has no jurisdiction to prevent him from collecting his pension even while serving a jail term. The letter asked county officials to at least "[set] the moral precedent for all school districts nationwide, restore some sense of dignity to this community, and [to the] public confidence in the judicial system."

Signorelli himself 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."