Former Obama White House adviser pleads guilty in scheme to steal $218k from schools he founded

Former Obama White House adviser Seth Andrew this week pleaded guilty to participating in a wire fraud scheme in which he attempted to steal over $200,000 from a network of schools he helped found. 

Andrew "admitted today to devising a scheme to steal from the very same schools he helped create," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement on the Justice Department's website. 

"Andrew now faces time in federal prison for abusing his position and robbing those he promised to help," Williams noted.

According to the Justice Department, Andrew closed out several escrow accounts connected to the charter school network in question and deposited them in multiple other accounts. 

The former adviser "pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison," the statement said, adding that Andrew "has agreed to pay restitution to the Charter School Network from which he stole."

Andrew will be sentenced in April of this year.