EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo – A Corpus Christi, Texas woman was scheduled to appear for a motion hearing in Clay County Court this morning (Mon.) for alleged cybercrimes against the Excelsior Springs School District.
According to a probable cause statement, the Excelsior Springs Police Department began an investigation in February 2022 regarding an e-mail scam that led to a substantial loss of school funds. The district had been attempting to pay its vendor Kansas City Audio Visual (KCAV) for work performed the previous year.
Prior to the payment the district had received an e-mail stating that KCAV would only accept wire transfers for payments and included new routing and account numbers. The e-mail also included KCAV’s and LendingClub Bank’s letterheads. However, KCAV never received the $253,692 payment. Instead, the account number was directed to a LendingClub Bank partner business called BREX Inc.
A subpoena was served in 2024 and BREX employees informed law enforcement that the account was for a shell company run by 41-year-old Deann Kay Strong. Documents showed a deposit to the BREX account from the school district with a withdrawal made by Strong the following day.
Strong was arrested last month in Texas but was released on a $500 bond. She faces a charge of stealing $25,000 or more in Clay County.
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