PROVO — The former associate dean of students at Utah Valley University and his wife were charged Thursday with using school money to fund nonschool-related projects.
Phil Lynn Clegg, 47, of Lindon, was charged in 4th District Court with four counts of communications fraud, and one count of engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, all second-degree felonies.
Jennifer Clegg, 42, of Lindon, was charged with two counts of communications fraud, a second-degree felony; communications fraud, a third-degree felony; and engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony.
According to charging documents filed by the Utah Attorney General's Office, the Cleggs were "utilizing UVU funds for personal use and misrepresenting expenses as being work related."
The university says it has lost about $384,000 due to the Cleggs. Charging documents point to $28,000 that was allegedly taken from the school.
The investigation began due to "personnel complaints" against Jennifer Clegg not related to university funds, the charges state. She was employed by the school for over 15 years and last worked as an assistant to the dean of the College of Technology and Computing, where she oversaw the college's finances.
But during the course of the investigation, the school found "financial inconsistencies" involving the American Association of Community Colleges, United Scholarship America, and the Towne Cinemas Movie Theatre in Provo, the charges state. Phil Clegg held prominent positions with each of those entities, according to court documents.
The university in a statement Thursday said the school first started looking into the Cleggs when a complaint was sent in to its anonymous hotline. The complainant claimed Jennifer Clegg "was misusing her position to conduct private business during work hours and that her co-workers feared retaliation from her if they spoke up about it."
"In the course of immediately investigating these allegations, the university uncovered suspected financial misconduct by Ms. Clegg and by her husband Phil Clegg, former associate dean of students. As a result, in April 2016 Ms. Clegg’s employment was terminated, and in May 2016 Mr. Clegg resigned from his employment while his conduct was under investigation," school officials said.
The school then made sure "procedures and practices" were in place to prevent similar events from happening in the future.
UVU hasn't shared information associated with the case until now "to protect the integrity of the investigation and to comply with a court order requiring confidentiality," school officials said.
Phil Clegg is accused of signing a contract with USA Today to have newspapers delivered on campus by students with the company reimbursing the university, which would pay the students, the charges state. The school paid the students more than $32,000 from 2012 to 2016 but was never reimbursed, according to charging documents. Those payments, instead, went to the United Scholarship America Foundation, the charges state.
The Cleggs are also accused of organizing student trips but not reimbursing the school, court records state.
Phil Clegg also created an account called "Citizens and Students" in which he was the only member and no students were ever involved, according to charging documents.
"Clegg regularly transferred funds from other student organization/club accounts within UVU to this account," the charges state. "This account was used to make payments to ASACC and USA Foundation, both of which are entities controlled by Phil Clegg."
That money was used for promotional items for ASACC such as tote bags, pens, notebooks and T-shirts, the charges state.
"None of the expenses were related to UVU business or would have been authorized," according to charging documents.
Clegg worked for UVU for 15 years before resigning in 2016.
Contributing: Ashley Imlay