A man duped a Brooklyn high school into going on a spending spree after he donated a $1.5 million check that turned out to be fake.
Teachers and staffers at Brooklyn’s High School for Enterprise, Business and Technology in East Williamsburg thought they hit the Lottery when Juan Diaz Romero came calling with a $1.5 million check in November.
Romero (picture in a mugshot from 1998) presented himself as a millionaire Wall Street wizard with money to spare. After bragging about his financial success he wrote out a check for $1,500,000, saying there was more where that came from.
The school forwarded the check on to the Department of Education (DOE), which issued funds back to the school.
Unfortunately, the DOE didn’t deposit the check until January 2016 — when the check bounced.
Thinking their benefactor was probably moving cash around, the DOE contacted Romero to ask him to re-up another check. But the 2nd check bounced, too.
In the meantime, the faculty went on a shopping spree spending vast amounts of cash on computer equipment, tickets to Broadway shows(!) and a trip to the Grand Canyon(!), according to the NY Post.
Still, no one suspected anything out of the ordinary until Romero showed up at the school last month, this time with a generous donation of $10 million, which he said should be earmarked for the school’s 2017 budget.
That’s when DOE officials contacted the bunco squad over at the NYPD.
Officials won’t say how much of the bogus $1.5 million was spent — or how the funds will be returned to the DOE.
School officials are worried about next year’s school budget, since 2016’s budget is pretty much gone.
“I feel like the school was robbed,” said Estafano Santana.
That’s just wrong!
That’s real grimey.
I know this is a bad situation, but this shat is funny as hell to me. How did he come up with this? Man!
somehow methinks michael kors got a few stacks from the principle too.
lol ok, and why are they spending $$ when the checks haven’t even cleared. they should be mad at themselves.
Lol
The first thing I’d do with a $1,500,000 check is not deposit it. Yep. Brilliant.
What they heck???!! So what did he do just wake up one morning and say ” I’m going to take fake checks to the school, this is going to be hilarious.” This dude is crazy as heck , but it also goes to show don’t count your chickens before your eggs hatch. I’m not spending a thang until my account says available funds. I don’t care who the check came from.
Right , something seems a bit strange about that.
Exactly!! Those fund better be available before I go on some damn spending spree, and spend they did!! Broadway shows? Trip to Grand Canyon?? Tuh!
Sigh…
Who does this and why? Was it attention? Thought he was gonna have a hunnid thank you letters from some 9th graders
I never understood people who do things like this. What’s the end game?
I’m sure those were things for the students. You didn’t take trips in school, go to shows for field trips??
And the funds were available, its the DOE that’s out of the money. They dispersed the money to the school before they deposited the check. Hopefully the school won’t suffer next year.
Jail. Or something even worst.
um, who doesn’t wait for the check to clear?
I suggest the Annual Fundraising “Bake sale” gets held on 4/20.
Somebody in A/R getting fired.
broadway tickets and a trip to the grand canyon smh. their stupid @sses deserve it.
I can’t wrap my head around it. Is it a prank? Do they do it for kudos? Do they think they won’t be found out? I can’t call it.
even a check cashing place verifies funds before clearing a check..thats dumbass DOE fault
I know right!! Girl something not clean in the water. LMBO
So you’re telling me a school with the words “Enterprise”, “Business”, and “Technology” couldn’t use nan’ one of dem thangs to see if ole boy was playing them or not? C’mon now.
Our school system was too poor
Parents were responsible for trips to the aviation museum, plays in a nearby city, trip to NASA camp in Huntsville. For our big trips, we had to do fundraisers. I know Mama Butter’s coworkers were SEW glad when I graduated.
It’s two separate transactions. School sent check to DOE. DOE honored the check and sent the funds to the school for use,like an advance. School would have no idea whether or not check was cashed or cleared before spending the funds on the students.
You hush up, now Blue. Just HUSH! LOL
Educational trips and outings make them stupid? What schools did y’all go to? We went to Canada, DC, Europe, art museum, zoo, the theater at my public school.
Schools here go on Broadway plays etc. Not far fetched. Only thing that’s far fetched is the brain they didn’t use.
Chile ??
My point was not about the purchases as much as spending money that was not verified. Just this week we had a report of trips that were for just teachers that were in excess of $65K. This came out of the general funds and it happens all the time.
Dang so 1.5 million would have been welcomed to sponsor some of those activities. Which is most likely the case with this school.
Parents paid for like 500-1,000 for our overseas trips. Everything else was school funded, camps, interstate trips, field trips etc.
So no one suspected this was bogus?!
My elementary school in Harlem was the reason Broadway plays appealed to me. We went to see Cats, phantom of the opera and beauty and the beast. Music class was to learn the songs ugh but I say that to say the trips etc is not far fetched here.
Ditto. I visited NY, Paris & Disney World just in middle school. I guess my school was stupid for trying to expose me to places and culture outside my classroom. **rolls eyes**
What the hell? Somebody about to have some prollems.
It would’ve been welcomed, and we would’ve been good stewards of that money. For that amount of money for an overseas trip, I would’ve been trying to chaperone
Hahahahaha. Ok. Just sayin (sits back down)
NO ONE thought to wait for the check to clear???? And was this a ‘check’ that he tore out of his checkbook he had in his breast pocket, and not a certified check? LOL!!!!!! DOE’s finance dept needs an overhaul…. this can’t be life!!! ROFL!!!!!
What’s even more stupid than him writing a bogus check, is them spending it on Broadway tickets and going to the damn Grand Canyon….Like Really?
Anytime I see extra money in my account, I’m waiting. Won’t have me caught up.
THIS!!!!
They definitely lacked a brain in that arena.
Maaaaaan, I want a do-over! The only thing we did was Disney World (because it’s so close). That was one of our biggest fundraisers. Mama Butter would chaperone and give many of my classmates spending money, because their parents didn’t have any to spare.
All these edujamacators and nobody saw that this fool didn’t have the funds?? Nobody pulled that carfax on that ass??
Its not the school’s responsibility to verify the funds. They were sent the money from the DOE and then spent it.
Teachers are sent to conferences CTE classes, my homie who is a high school principal was sent to Japan this year for an international summit on education. I don’t look at those things as a mishandling of funds. Now if receipts come back for lobster and champagne and I’m in a poor district I’d be mad. But hail when I travel for business best believe I’m not staying at Hojos and eating Denny’s so I can’t be too mad ???
Somebody’s getting fired.
“Cause when them checks clear, they’re not here”
Childish Gambino-“3005”
Why?
Kill him. Don’t fugg with the kids NOR the kid’s education!
lmaoooooo!!!
So true though!
Heeeyyyy NanC (Ms Parker voice) — NYC DOE –doing due diligence, whoo, wait, let me catch my breath after this good laugh.
In the meantime, the faculty went on a shopping spree spending vast
amounts of cash on computer equipment, tickets to Broadway shows(!) and a
trip to the Grand Canyon(!)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Straight got their Oprah on.
You get Broadway tickets. AND YOU get Broadway tickets.
Dumb asses
WHHHY did the FIRST THANG that came to my mind was Ruff Endz ‘No More’? No more shopping spreeeees…No more late night creeeeps…No more VIP’s…No more dough…We can’t even kick it no more.
Field trip is to the beach or the museum. They went clear across the country to the Grand Canyon. How Sway??
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m Beyonce voice.
ms. crackher needed a cover to take her student/boo out for a night on the town without suspicion.
Hey! LOL
That was the jam. And Blu Cantrell.
Must have been some cutie pie secretary in that there front office. See this all the time.
All of this.
I be tight! Geeked when I see it, but couple days later I see “teller error.” Smh.
And was this a ‘check’ that he tore out of his checkbook he had in his breast pocket, and not a certified check?
^^^^^^^^^
Red Flag like a summa bish
So sad and fkn pathetic! Why you do that to the kids man??? Loser!
Divine One! *blows kisses*
dese your people? you know them to be unreliable? ROFL?
I am genuinely tickled about this…. Lord forgive me!
with all these nigerian scams still going on…a lot of people dont want the checks to clear before payments
I had a great middle school. We were always doing something. I want my kids to have a similar experience one day.
We went to DC, Canada, Germany, Michigan, England, France. We don’t know which groups went, it could have been only 10 students. As part of Spanish club we had the opportunity to go to South America. We had a class trip every year from 5-10th grade. Then there were smaller niche groups band, chorus, theater, clubs etc that also took trips that were sponsored in whole or in part by the school. Traveling is not unheard of here.
Our school system not even POOR. Just cheap AF. We are and have been top 20 size wise in the nation for 40 years. But we are NOT flying to the Grand Canyon. Only place I went was to band competitions as part of color guard (Florida, and then we had one in Nashville) and I had to wash 1,900 gatdamn cars and sell fruit.
New post
Wonder what was his reason for doing that to the school…..
Rofl!!!!!!!!
Likewise. Hopefully, Lil Butter will continue to keep his grades up and do well on standardized tests, and he’ll be able to enter the lottery to attend a magnet middle school starting in 4th grade.
LOL . . . reminds me of the Martin episode, when they thought they won the Jackpot, and found out they had to share the win with quite a few other peeps.
So yall sayin’ he wrote a check in red crayon and signed it with a pink highlighter and nobody batted an eye?
I know that’s right. I do the same thing, never have me messed up.
so EVERYbody had to go? ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IKR… lol
?? LOL, STAWP, aye.
Riiight. Where the HELL is she at? All of the dreams you sold…Left me out in the cold…What happened to the days when we used to trust each other…And all of the things I sold…Will take you until you get old…To get ’em back without me…Cuz a marriage is better than money you see. JUST WAS THINKING BOUT QUEEN PEN & LISTEN TO THE RADIO TODAY, SAID SHE WENT OUT OF COUNTRY TO GET A FULL BODY LIFT & HER & THE MEDS DIDN’T AGREE. LIL MO (SAID THIS CAME FROM A VERY RELIABLE SOURCE) THAT SHE NOW HAS THE MIND OF A 7yo & has been living in VA since (hiding away I guess). A DAMN SHAME
And tried to do it THRICE
We had to sell 500 tubs of Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough. It ain’t even enough folks in my itty-bitty town for each band student to sell 500 tubs of cookie dough to.
rofl!
Where the HELL is she at?
^^^^^^^
Trying to not be a Cathy White.
KNOWING you just had $1.47 the day before and hadn’t got paid yet.
LMBO. I love that episode! Who am I kidding? I loved them all with the exception of the last season.
Wrapping paper. Candy bars. I used to be mad AF too.
This was my initial thought as well. All those smart words and not a brain in the building!!
And it was written on construction paper.
Still, no one suspected anything out of the ordinary until Romero showed up at the school last month, this time with a generous donation of $10 million, which he said should be earmarked for the school’s 2017 budget.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOOOW YOU DONE GOT-GOT ONCE A-N-D IN LINE A DAMN A-G-A-I-N FOR ANOTHER FRAUDULENT CHECK? HOW CAN THESE PEOPLE TEACH THE YOUTH & THEY DON’T HAVE OR ARE USING MUCH INTELLIGENCE? #NewSchoolNewSystemNewSchoolYear
…THE BEST ADVICE, I’D GIVE
Juan Diaz Romero
he wrote out a check for $1,500,000
___________________________
So was it in pesos or nah?
Agreed. Once the chemistry was lost, went downhill. I re-watch all the season ‘buscept the last season when I need a good laugh.
The THICK kind too.
Hey boo! :2dance:
Hey Suga Pie Hunny Bun!!
he probably gave them one of those big display donation checks that take 4 people to hold it up. they carried it down the block to the DOE finance office, the DOE accounting tech date stamped it and leaned it up against the wall behind the door; hence, they forgot to cash it, smh
that’s races!
LOL!!!!
Like it was an arts and craft project. LOL
You know that I love you! #scatscat
I guess so but it was obviously gonna come back
That’s evil, why would you want to do that?
yes…errbody lol
I really try not to overuse it…. but I believe this may be a case of “hustling backwards” ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EVEN that ISH wouldn’t have TIPPED them off. They’d probably have the kids on a cheddar bus while the upper-ups in line at some local exchange currency services TRYIN’ to CASH OUT, LOL. POOR KIDDOS
New post. Nut gargler
I implore you to use it. The epitome of hustling backwards facepalm
exactly. a dog gone photo op!
I bet he was trying to impress a woman… She probably really loved the fact he was giving money to a school.. Shows his true fake generosity .
A man came to me asking if I wanted to buy one of those fund raiser candy bars for $2. I said sorry, I only have $1. He said ok, I’ll give you a discount and I gave him $1. When he walked away I looked at the wrapper & it was pre-priced $1. Ol’ grifter.
That’s TRUMPISH.
Bumbling, inept is more like it, lol.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b47552e108bd437eb6984593c7ee4152f3b2901371a45e4ebf3c74e213d96734.jpg
Yaaaasssss, Ms. Diahann Carroll!
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Juan Diaz Romero
Even his name sounds fake.
Like a cross between Juan Veldez and Romeo from Shakespeare.
Lmaoooooo
He’s probably a loon.
Hahahahahahaha. Exactly
Yep, they did not use their brain lol
somebody at DOE is currently umemployed!
Those aren’t soft batch.. No thanks…. We used to having nice things and trips round here ??
Those aren’t soft batch.. No thanks…. We used to having nice things and trips round here ??
“A man duped a Brooklyn high school into going on a spending spree”
My bad day just got a bit better???? idk why this made me yelp and giggle, but it did…Haven’t even read the story yet? They went on a spending spree??? oh Sandra, you rock bro??
“A man duped a Brooklyn high school into going on a spending spree”
My bad day just got a bit better???? idk why this made me yelp and giggle, but it did…Haven’t even read the story yet? They went on a spending spree??? oh Sandra, you rock bro??
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s some ish, ain’t it?!!?
Hey get it how you can ?????
Yes! He got a garage full of them ???
This is straight out of an episode of Punked. How does this even happen with the resources in place these days. SMDH!
This is straight out of an episode of Punked. How does this even happen with the resources in place these days. SMDH!
I guess he had NOTHING better to do!!!!!!!
Lol right! That sounded like fun adventures for the kids.
Right! I’m trying to figure out what did he gain from this.
I’m not sure why folk don’t get the trips were for the students. Duh
that little miserable potatoe bug! Guess they better get to raising funds to pay for all that lol hitting Broadway shows and what not
Yep and given the fact that he was colored i’m surprised they didn’t keep him waiting while they called the bank to verify the funds. Like banks do when regular folks present a check for deposit.
Thank you!
the actual check that they were spending against never cleared, its not that hard. DOE is at fault.
I wonder is this the same guy that duped Steve Harvey morning show. He said he was Wall street wizard and donated a fake $150,000. It was a big mess.
Lmfao…always wait till the check clears, fools..
I mean wtf!!! Why?!
He must have had kids or family that attended that school and knew how broke they were.
……
It was robbed when you all went to Broadway and The Grand Canyon
Yea…. I worked at a bank and almost all of my reputable businesses would wait til checks of larger amounts actually cleared before they counted the money as theirs… -_-
These fools went hood rich with it! Shows? Trips? Somebody ready to get fired!
Scam
Am I the only one that notice the high school’s name is basically High School for E.B.T #Racist
Am I wrong for finding this story funny? If so, I apologise.
Well d a m n
This reminds me of The Office episode when Michael told all those kids he’d pay for their college,, that episode actually made me sad
This reminds me of The Office episode when Michael told all those kids he’d pay for their college,, that episode actually made me sad
Ha!!!
Sooooo they take a check from a random stranger wait months to cash it but spend it before it clears….. Calls to get another one… that bounces again…. Um its no wonder kids these days cant read or write just plain dumb!
Lmao I’m sorry I don’t mean to laugh but as wrong as it is man it’s also hilarious Cus I remember that episode of Martin where he thought he hit the lottery and he went around buying lavish shits ??????. The moral of the story is wait till the money actually comes through before splurging
Finance 101: don’t start shopping before the check clears the bank.
What the reason I would really like to know
I feel bad because of their school budget cuts. Lots of people will get laid off, and the school might eventually get closed down.
However this is jokes,
Was this someone’s idea of a senior prank? Or is Juan Diaz Romero actually Frank Abagnale in disguise? (you must see Catch me if you can.)
No wonder people don’t like Wall Street wizards, you can’t spell economics without the c-o-n.
Now, I know people are going to hate me for this, but oh well: OH SNAP, everyone at the school knows what it feels like when the EBT money is gone. Plus: Estafano has me weak, talking about “the school was robbed,” of its dignity.
But damn he really tried to flip the school by offering $10 million. After the second check bounced, they should have been investigating the authenticity of the checks and researching the guy. This man has been made out to be potential a cult leader if he was able to elude the principal and DOE of his authenticity two times. This is wrong, but also plain stupid. (I’m trying hard to resist a joke.) Something else must have happened to convince them he was genuine. I wonder what the court case for this will be like because he must be liable for a class act or to be sued. It’s a real shame, but eventually justice will be served. But if Donald Trump was able to pull Trump University and run for president then I think its late for them, and us all.
How the f@ck does a $60k+ trip to go see the Grand Canyon and tickets to see a Broadway show equate to an educational trip? Sounds more like leisure
This really needs to be explained to you? Wow do better… ?
When a school is POOR, they should be going down a “To-Do” list to spend such fund$ on new books, desks, gym equipment, paper, pencils, art utensils, roof, flooring and ceiling repairs; much needed maintenance repairs, etc.
When a school is POOR like that one, you invest in virtual reality software and gear where students get a virtual experience of visiting landmarks like the Grand Canyon. I’ve been there and it was not that impressive. I was bored after 5mins of spanning the view plus 5mins to snap pics. Faculty of that school showed their true colors by abusing and misusing funds meant to help get the school out of a rut.
Schools that have the funds to visit Europe are often financially sufficient or above par compared to financially strapped or poorer schools like the one in Brooklyn. For trips Montreal, Toronto, Quebec and Nova Scotia parts of Canada are 2 or 3 hours on a bus ride when one lives New England, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest States. -unlike a struggling school wasting away every dime of a gift to fly themselves and loads of students to Colorado, just to lay eyes on a mountain of reddish/brown rocks. Then, comes the tab for food and housing in the area for everyone. How foolish is that when repairs, gym equipment, new books, computers, etc. are needed?
How will laying eyes on Grand Canyon help those poor kids perform better on the PSAT, ACT and SATs for college?
I am glad the faculty and school have been outed for being shady spenders who are not looking out for the children’s education or best interest.
The Grand Canyon is so overrated. Once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. -only takes about 10-15mins and you’ll be over it or ready to drive on.
broadway shows and trips? da what
Lmfaooooo how the school gets a check from somebody they don’t know and start spending before the funds clear…sounds like he did the school district a favor…there should be alot of job openings
Oh, i needed this laugh. I dont blame him. I think he was incohoots with the principal. Siunds lile the school got a loan.