The former director of an Orange County historical site recently pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges from her time in charge.

Ronda Tucker of Hillsborough pleaded guilty to felony counts of embezzlement in Orange County Superior Court on Tuesday. The charges stem from her spending of funds for the Burwell School on personal services in 2019.

Tucker ultimately accepted a plea deal that included four counts of plain embezzlement instead of charges for embezzlement of more than $100,000. She will serve a minimum of one year in prison, followed by a one-year suspended sentence with five years of probation. During that time, Tucker will aim to pay restitution.

Ronda Tucker, a Hillsborough resident, will face a minimum of one year in prison for her embezzlement of the Burwell School historical site. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)

The Burwell School, which is the site of a 19th century girls’ school, is owned and operated by the Hillsborough Historic Commission. Located off the corner of West Union and North Churton Streets, the site hired Tucker as a guide in 2016 before promoting her to executive director in January 2019.

Amid discoveries of financial discrepancies in June 2019, which stemmed from Tucker spending more than $175,000 on personal good and services, the school fired Tucker and authorities charged her in October 2019.

Following Tucker’s firing, an internal investigation found the Burwell School failed to complete a full background check on Tucker when hiring her. Tucker previous pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge in 2005 from Orange County, Florida. She completed more than 100 hours of community service and three years of probation as part of the punishment in that case.

When reached on Wednesday, the Hillsborough Historic Commission said the Burwell School planned to not share any comment’s on Tucker’s conviction.

Photo via the Burwell School on Facebook.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
Former Burwell School Director Charged with Embezzlement
Hillsborough police charged a former executive director for the historic Burwell School site with felony embezzlement on Thursday. This comes after the site was under investigation earlier in October over discrepancies previously found in its financial reports. Ronda Tucker of Hillsborough is accused of spending nearly $175,000 on various personal goods and services since 2016. […]
Gov. Cooper Appoints Orange County Residents to Historic Hillsborough Commission
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper recently appointed several Orange County residents to serve on various state boards and commissions, including new members of the Historic Hillsborough Commission. The governor shared his appointments on November 3, naming eight individuals to serve on the group that celebrates and promotes the history of the town and Orange County. […]
Orange County Public Transportation Piloting Fare-Free Model in 2026
Orange County Public Transportation will be piloting a one-year, fare-free model for its fixed-route transit services beginning Jan. 2, 2026. The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the move at its Dec. 9 meeting. In a press release, the county government hailed the move as “an important step in testing strategies to expand mobility, promote […]
Orange County Communities to Interrupt Services for December Holidays (2025)
Communities around Orange County will interrupt their normal service schedules during the upcoming winter holidays. Here’s what customers can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Town of Chapel Hill government offices will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 26. Residential trash collection will not be affected. Yard trimmings will not be collected on […]
Orange County Sheriff's Office Details String of Break-Ins, Larceny Charges Against 2 Teenagers
The Orange County Sheriff's Office formally announced criminal charges against a pair of 18-year-olds for a string of break-ins in November.
Orange County Board Makes CITEL Deal Official, Offers Tax Incentives
The Orange County Board of Commissioners passed an agreement with CITEL to move its American manufacturing operations to Hillsborough.
Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2025)
Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
Labor Day to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County Community (2025)
Monday marks the observance of Labor Day, which is meant to celebrate the contribution of workers and employees across the United States. With that, the local governments in Orange County will be giving many of their employees the day off, which will affect certain local government services. Ahead of the holiday on Monday, September 1, […]
Orange County Arts Community Set for Uproar Festival Despite Recent Flood Damage
Orange County's Uproar Festival of Public Art returns on Aug. 1 – and it comes as the arts community recovers from catastrophic flooding.
Work on I-40 Widening Project Set to Close Lanes, Exit Ramps Overnight in Hillsborough
The ongoing work to widen I-40 in Orange County is set to disrupt overnight traffic patterns for the rest of the week, according to NCDOT.
›