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Plea agreement being arranged for former school IT manager

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Brandon M. Keirns

JANESVILLE — A plea agreement is in the works for a former Janesville School District employee accused of enriching himself at the district’s expense.

Brandon M. Keirns of Milwaukee appeared in court Tuesday and waived his rights to a preliminary hearing and a jury trial.

Keirns’ attorney, Trish Arreazola, said she and the prosecution are working on a plea agreement.

Arreazola asked for a status conference in the case in July. Judge Richard Werner agreed and set a date of July 7.

Keirns, 32, is charged with two felony counts of being a public employee entering into a contract with private interests. State statutes prohibit public employees from arranging contracts for their employer that benefit themselves.

Keirns is accused of buying the district $215,000 worth of computer software from companies he or his friend owned. He is suspected of transferring money the school district paid the companies into his personal bank account and using some of the money to buy a condo.

Keirns, who was hired in December 2007, resigned in November 2008 after a computer virus crippled the school district’s computers for weeks.

Keirns also faces a civil suit filed by the school district that accuses him of racketeering and fraud.

The district has asked for a lien against the condo to recover money it lost. It also wants money for damages, attorney fees and the cost of its investigation.

Keirns faces a maximum of three years and six months in prison and a $10,000 fine for each charge.