A former welding instructor at Chisholm Trail Technology Center was charged Thursday with embezzling more than $26,000 from the career tech while he worked there.

A warrant was still outstanding at press time Friday for the arrest of Weston Carroll Chambers, 54, 319 W. Overstreet, Kingfisher, for the felony charge filed in Kingfisher County District Court.

CTTC Supt. Max Thomas said Chambers submitted a letter of resignation Oct. 10, which was offi cially accepted by the CTTC board at its Oct. 14 meeting.

Thomas declined to comment on the merits of the charges while the case is pending, but submitted the following statement to the Times & Free Press via text on Thursday:

“We are aware of the situation and are working closely with authorities. Our top priorities are the students and justice. We can’t release additional information at this time because this is a personnel matter.”

Thomas contacted the Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 22 to report the theft of two welders from the career tech, according to an affidavit signed by Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Svoboda.

Thomas told deputies that he talked to students when he discovered the welders were missing and the students told him that they had loaded one of the welders up and delivered it to Chambers’ house in Enid on Chambers’ instructions, according to the affi davit.

The students allegedly told Thomas that Chambers said the welder was being donated to another school, according to the affi davit. Thomas told deputies the school did not donate any equipment.

Thomas also reported that Chambers had collected money from students for school sweatshirts that were never delivered, according to the affi davit.

When Svoboda interviewed welding students, they reported making metal yard signs and ornaments that Chambers then sold, but Thomas said he could find no record of those proceeds being deposited in school accounts, according to the affi davit.

Another student reported he had purchased a trailer that had been donated to the school and gave Chambers $175 in cash, which Thomas said also was not deposited in school accounts, according to the affi davit.

Svoboda and Deputy Mike Shults interviewed Chambers Nov. 21 and he allegedly admitted taking the student sweatshirt money and the proceeds from sale of items students had made and selling a school welder for about $1,100.

He also allegedly admitted selling new equipment he had ordered on behalf of the school and pocketing that money as well, according to the affi davit.

Chambers also allegedly told the deputies that he had his students take three school welders to his residence that did not work and which he later trashed when he could not repair them.

Thomas said all the welders taken to Chambers’ house were in working order, according to the affi davit.

If convicted, Chambers faces up to eight years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, plus restitution.