Former secretary of Rock Creek School charged with forgery, theft scheme

A former administrative secretary of Rock Creek School is charged with a multi-year theft scheme.

Rebecca Mae Main, 64, of Frederick, was charged on Tuesday with 36 counts of forging private documents, 36 counts of issuing false documents, and two counts of theft scheme.

Between 2020 and 2023, Main allegedly made out 36 checks to herself and deposited $27,799 from Rock Creek School’s Student Activities Fund into her personal bank account, according to charging documents.

Rock Creek School, a part of Frederick County Public Schools, provides individualized education programs for students age 3 to 21 with severe intellectual, physical, emotional, hearing, visual and learning disabilities.

Of the 36 checks, 26 allegedly contained the forged signatures of current and past principals of the school, charging documents said.

Thirty-five checks were written between $100 and $1,500, and one check was written for $1,529, the highest amount, according to the charging documents.

According to the charging documents, Main told investigators on Dec. 10 that she had forged colleagues’ signatures on checks.

Reached by phone Friday evening, Main said she had no comment about the charges.

Eric Louérs-Phillips, a spokesperson for FCPS, said in an email on Friday that the school district does not comment on pending legal matters.

Jaqueline Rottmann, a spokesperson for the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, said on Friday that the office was unable to comment because it had not received the charging documents in its database.

Deputy Ralph Kay of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded on Jan. 19 to a possible fraud tip that came from the FCPS central office, charging documents said.

He spoke with Heather Clabaugh, associate superintendent of fiscal services, who said there were several checks made out to Main.

Clabaugh said the checks had the signature of Tracy Jaramillo on them, who was acting principal of Rock Creek School between November 2023 and June 2024, and said Jaramillo did not recall signing the checks, according to the charging documents.

Clabaugh said the checks were supposedly reimbursements for money that Main spent on things for the school, according to the charging documents. She added that FCPS had no record of why the checks were sent, and that receipts were typically included in records.

Clabaugh told Kay that Main had a documented history of going over the limit of reimbursement costs, which is up to $100 per purchase, according to the charging documents.

Detective Louis Whitehouse of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office was assigned to the case on Jan. 22 of this year.

Through nearly a year-long investigation, Whitehouse spoke with Jaramillo; Katie Buckley, the principal at Rock Creek School from 2019 to 2023; and Amanda Keilholtz, the assistant principal of the school since 2023.

Main allegedly forged the signatures of Jaramillo, Buckley and Keilholtz on checks, according to the charging documents.

During the investigation, Whitehouse presented Buckley with several memo lines from checks that Main had cut, according to the charging documents. Buckley said she did not know why some memo lines, such as donations or teacher and staff member appreciation, were being considered expenses, according to the charging documents.

Whitehouse was unable to locate any person or evidence that would provide an explanation for Main to write herself any of the reimbursement checks, according to the charging documents.

Charging documents say that when Kay talked to Clabaugh on Jan. 19, he learned that Main had recently retired from her position as secretary at Rock Creek School.

A preliminary inquiry hearing is scheduled in Frederick County District Court at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2025.

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