Spotsylvania School Board member Kirk Twigg must pay $10,164.64 in restitution to the school division by Dec. 20, 2024, according to terms of a plea agreement entered in Spotsylvania Circuit Court this morning.
The total amount represents the overage paid to deputy superintendent Kelly Guempel in July and August of 2022 as a result of Twigg altering the terms of Guempel’s appointment as interim superintendent without the approval of the full School Board.
“That is the amount the taxpayers of Spotsylvania had to pay because of the wrongdoing of Kirk Twigg,” James Hingeley, the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney who was appointed to prosecute the case against Twigg, said following the hearing before Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Rigual.
Twigg was charged early this year with a felony charge of forgery of a public record and a misdemeanor charge of tampering with a public record. As part of the plea agreement, the felony charge was dismissed today with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought back.
The misdemeanor charge will be dismissed with prejudice on Dec. 20, 2024, provided Twigg pays restitution and complies with the terms of the plea agreement, which state that he must be “of uniform good behavior.”
Per the agreement, he is not required to enter a plea to the misdemeanor charge, but stipulates that “the Commonwealth’s evidence would be sufficient for conviction on the misdemeanor charge of tampering with or altering a record belonging to Spotsylvania County Public Schools.”
If he does not comply with the terms, Twigg will be convicted of the misdemeanor charge and sentenced by the Court. The agreement stipulates that if he is sentenced to incarceration, the entire term of the incarceration will be suspended.
Adele Uphaus in managing editor and correspondent of FXBG Advance. Reach her at [email protected]
