Crime Blotter

3 Charged in $779K Tulsa Schools Roofing Fund Scheme

Prosecutors allege bogus roofing payments

By Tanja Kern, Senior Strategic Content Editor

Photo by Stan Paregien Sr on Unsplash / Roofing Contractor

A former Tulsa Public Schools executive and two engineering firm partners face 27 criminal charges in an alleged scheme involving more than $779,000 in payments for roofing projects that prosecutors say were never performed.

Chris Hudgins, the district’s former executive director of bond and emergency management, is accused of conspiring with Gayle Gwinup and Thomas McKenna, partners in Tulsa-based Allied Engineering Group. The three were charged in June with conspiracy, embezzlement and kickbacks.

Prosecutors allege Hudgins directed Tulsa Public Schools to pay Allied Engineering Group more than $779,000 for roofing projects despite the company performing no work. Allied Engineering then allegedly paid more than $736,000 to M&G Consulting, Hudgins’ architecture consulting company, for work prosecutors described as bogus.

McKenna also allegedly used Starr Design Group Inc. to continue the arrangement at additional school campuses.

The case could expand following the Aug. 18 release of a forensic audit of Tulsa Public Schools’ bond spending. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said his office is reviewing the full audit and that additional criminal charges remain possible.

“This audit confirms what our June charges already made clear — bond dollars meant to repair and improve Tulsa schools were instead treated as someone's personal piggy bank,” Drummond said. “My office is reviewing the full audit now, and we are not finished. Additional charges are on the table.”

The forensic audit, released by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, builds on the investigation that resulted in the June charges.

All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

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Tanja Kern covers economic trends and the intersection of architecture, design, and construction for Roofing Contractor, with an emphasis on the forces reshaping the industry. She develops and amplifies content that connects roofing professionals with the intelligence they need to compete and grow.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tanja has written for national business, consumer and trade publications. She holds a Master of Science in magazine publishing from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.