Guilty plea ahead for past exec-VP in Duval teachers union fraud

Former Duval County teachers’ union executive vice president, Ruby George, will plead guilty to some charges related to stealing $1.2 million in unearned vacation time.
George, along with former union president Terrie Brady, was indicted in December on conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud charges.
Both initially pleaded innocent, but George now has a plea hearing scheduled for August 4.
The charges stem from allegedly selling back unused vacation time that didn’t exist and falsifying union financial statements.

The former No. 2 officeholder at the Duval County teachers’ union will plead guilty Aug. 4 to some charges from an indictment accusing her of stealing $1.2 million in unearned vacation time, court records indicate.

Ruby George, 81, who had retired as executive vice president of Duval Teachers United, was indicted in December with former DTU President Terrie Brady on charges that could carry decades of prison time.

Both women pleaded innocent in January and have been scheduled to stand trial in September.

A federal court docket shows that U.S. Magistrate Judge Samuel Horovitz has scheduled a guilty plea hearing for George.

It’s not clear which of the seven counts that name George in the 14-count conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud case will be part of the plea, however.

George, who spent more than 20 years in union leadership, was accused of conspiring with Brady so they could both bilk the union by selling back unused vacation time that, the indictment charged, really didn’t exist.

Each woman claimed more than $1.2 million she hadn’t earned and signed the other’s leave buyback checks, charged the indictment, which accused the two of concealing their real leave balances and putting false financial information in union financial statements filed every year to the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission.

Brady also faces two counts involving illegal monetary transactions, so prosecutors had demanded that the women forfeit a total of about $2.6 million.

George and Brady left their leadership positions weeks apart from each other in October 2023, the month after federal agents raided the union’s San Marco headquarters, carrying out paper records and computer equipment.

It’s not clear how George’s plea will impact the case against Brady. A judge had previously set an Aug. 25 deadline for pleas to be filed to avoid the trial.

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