Project Safe Schools: Federal grand jury returns 7-count indictment against elementary school teacher and former principal for conspiracy scheme that endangered children
DALLAS / Friday, September 18, 2026 — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that on Sept. 16, a federal grand jury indicted Michael Raymond Roell, also known as “Johnathan Michael,” and Wendy Bailey, former principal of Crosby Elementary School in Forney ISD, for orchestrating a scheme that concealed Roell’s prior history of alleged abuse and misconduct, and enabled him to obtain a position as a special‑education teacher within the district.
The duo is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for their alleged roles in facilitating Roell’s fraudulent entry into the school district.
“The allegations in this indictment represent a profound violation of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “A school is supposed to be a place where children are safe and protected, not a place where an educator with a known history of misconduct can walk back into a classroom because someone in a position of authority helped him hide who he really was – a predator that targets special needs children. This office will use every tool available to aggressively prosecute anyone who compromises the safety of children or undermines the integrity of our public institutions. These individuals did not just conspire to break the law, they actively and maliciously put children at risk.”
“This indictment demonstrates the lengths these two defendants went to circumvent a hiring process meant to keep our schools and students safe,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that students not only receive a good education, but that education is provided in a safe environment.”
According to the indictment, on or about June 6, 2016, Roell was arrested and charged in Dallas County, with one count of indecency with a child – sexual conduct after accusations he touched at least one student in the groin area and observed the student as they used the restroom. Roell was terminated from his position with Garland ISD. These prior allegations, which were known to Bailey, were concealed during the hiring process, and were red flags that would have impacted his eligibility for employment if adequately disclosed.
The indictment alleges that to circumvent hiring safeguards, Roell, encouraged by Bailey, legally changed his name from Michael Raymond Roell to Johnathan Michael, then submitted an employment application to Forney ISD that concealed his prior identity, criminal charges, and misconduct and disciplinary history. Prosecutors allege that Bailey used her position as principal to promote Roell’s candidacy, participate in hiring communications and help move his falsified application forward.
The indictment details numerous electronic communications between Roell and Bailey — including emails, text messages, and application documents — that prosecutors say demonstrate explicit coordination to hide Roell’s prior criminal charges and ensure his hiring. In October 2025, Roell, using his new legal name, was successfully hired as a special‑education teacher at Crosby Elementary, earning approximately $67,700 annually.
Roell remained employed by Forney ISD until May 2026, when the Texas Rangers arrested him on state charges of felony child abuse and grooming. That arrest led to the federal investigation now culminating in these felony indictments.
As alleged in the indictment, the charges are related to Roell’s prior alleged wrongdoing and the alleged efforts by Roell and Bailey to conceal that information.
Roell has been in federal custody since Aug. 27. If convicted, both defendants face a federal prison sentence of up to twenty years and forfeiture of any proceeds derived from the offense.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations Dallas and the Texas Rangers. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Parran and Claire Demers are prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Schools is a federal initiative aimed at protecting students, enforcing accountability and restoring transparency in public schools across North Texas. Project Safe Schools directly targets failures in mandatory reporting of educator misconduct and combats the practice known as “passing the trash,” where educators with known misconduct issues move between schools without disclosure of their prior wrongdoing. Project Safe Schools’ goals are to:
- Enforce mandatory reporting requirements tied to federal education programs.
- Hold school districts, administrators and teachers accountable through civil and criminal enforcement.
- Increase transparency in educator misconduct investigations.
- Strengthen student safety across schools in North Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas
