A jaw-dropping case of alleged embezzlement has come to light involving the former head of the Maryland Parent Teacher Association.
LaTonja Carrera, 51, is accused of spending nearly $1 million of PTA funds, COVID relief grants, and private donations on a lavish lifestyle—and, in an eyebrow-raising twist, on voodoo sex spells aimed at her boyfriend’s extramarital relationship.
Alleged Misuse of Funds and Extravagant Lifestyle
Court filings indicate Carrera funneled around $900,000 into personal expenses, air travel, gambling, luxury shopping, and spiritual services.
The most unusual expenditures included over $27,000 spent on magic spells, psychic readings, and hoodoo services, according to an audit of PTA accounts.
Carrera allegedly purchased spells with names like Bring Me Money, Slot Machine Gambling Spell, and even relationship-focused curses, including Voodoo Hot Lust Spell and The Couple Buster Curse, specifically targeting her boyfriend Quincy Gant and his wife.
Extensive Spending Across Travel, Gambling, and Luxury Goods
The audit revealed an extravagant spree spanning casinos, hotels, and online shopping.
Carrera allegedly withdrew over $50,000 in 76 ATM transactions at eight different casinos, with additional withdrawals of $88,000 outside casinos.
Trips included a “romantic” Las Vegas getaway costing more than $13,000, including airfare, hotels, Pandora jewelry, restaurants, and a Michael Jackson-themed show.
She reportedly also spent $30,000 on travel to Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee, $20,000 on designer clothing, over $1,300 on Chanel makeup, and $46,000 to cover apartment rent.
Transfers to family members and spending on consumer goods, Amazon orders, and dining further added to the eye-popping total.
Alleged Money Laundering and Audit Findings
Former federal prosecutor Seth Waxman, who worked on a forensic audit of the Maryland PTA in 2022, uncovered a complex alleged money-laundering scheme.
Carrera is accused of funneling grant money and federal loans through multiple bank accounts, creating nonprofit shell companies, and laundering a portion of the funds.
Waxman detailed a trail of credit card receipts and ATM transactions stretching across the U.S., concluding that Carrera would likely never repay the PTA.
He referred the matter to federal prosecutors for criminal investigation.
Legal History and Previous Convictions
This is not Carrera’s first brush with the law. She was convicted of fraud in 2004 in Baltimore and later faced charges for allegedly stealing from an elderly veteran in 2020.
She served a partial sentence with probation following her 2022 guilty plea.
Her leadership also placed the Maryland PTA chapter under probation before the national office eventually revoked it.
Federal Investigation and Next Steps
With federal authorities now investigating, Carrera faces potential charges of theft, wire fraud, and related financial crimes.
Waxman emphasized that while civil recovery for the PTA was unlikely, criminal prosecution could provide another path to justice.
As the case unfolds, it paints a stark picture of alleged abuse of trust, extravagance, and bizarre personal motives tied to hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer and donor funds.
