A former business manager at All Saints Catholic School faces up to 20 years in prison for embezzling $239,820 over nearly three years.

Shannel Peoples-Hilliard, who started at the school in May 2021, pleaded guilty last week in federal court to using a school-issued credit card for personal expenses, including luxury goods, vacations and rent, from November 2021 to July 2024. 

Court documents say she attempted to disguise the purchases as school-related spending in All Saints’ bank reconciliation reports. 

When All Saints officials discovered the inconsistencies in their finances, they “immediately took steps to investigate and report these concerns to law enforcement,” according to Michael Riley, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond in a letter to the school’s community last August. 

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond reiterated this position in a statement following the announcement of Peoples- Hilliard’s guilty plea. 

“We took action as soon as we learned about the allegations and launched our own investigation to identify ways to strengthen the protocols we have in place,” the statement read. “We are grateful to law enforcement for their diligence throughout this process and remain committed to making sure this does not happen again.” 

As part of her plea, Peoples- Hilliard waived her right to prosecution by indictment and to appeal her conviction and sentencing. 

In addition to a potential prison term, she faces fines, asset forfeiture, mandatory restitution to All Saints and up to three years of supervised release. She has agreed to cooperate fully in identifying assets for restitution and forfeiture. 

Peoples-Hilliard is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2026.