Federal agents searched Quest Charter Academy in Peoria last week as part of an investigation into the company that runs it. The FBI Office in Cleveland as well as the U.S Department of Education and Federal Communications Commission served search warrants to 19 schools as part of the probe into Des Plaines-based Concept Schools.
FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson wouldn’t go into details of the investigation, but says the searches were related to an “ongoing white collar crime matter.” She says the search warrants were not connected to any violence or threats against the schools.
A statement from Quest Charter says federal officials searched the school last Wednesday afternoon. It says agents were looking for information on a federal program that helps public schools buy IT infrastructure. Quest says it looked into these grants but never applied for them.
The statement says federal officials also disclosed they were interested in certain external individuals and entities that have done business with the school. Quest says staff is cooperating fully with the investigation.