Trial that could out feds (WH) alleged to have bogus degrees delayed

[Up2Late]

(Funny how this, and the AP story that broke this additional Republican Scandal about 135 federal Employees, (including people in the White House) buying fake Collage degrees didn't get much Press coverage.)

Trial that could out feds alleged to have bogus degrees delayed

October 17, 2006

By Karen Rutzick
[e-mail]

Names of 135 federal employees who allegedly bought fake diplomas from an outfit in the western United States will not be revealed for at least one year, if ever, according to a U.S attorney's office.

Last week in Spokane, Wash., during a pretrial hearing for eight people accused of selling counterfeit degrees from nonexistent universities, a defense attorney told the judge that employees from the National Security Agency and the Health and Human Services, Justice and State departments were among 6,000 people who bought the diplomas, according to the Associated Press.

The AP also reported that Peter Schweda, attorney for alleged diploma mill operator Steven Randock, said the names of 135 government employees who supposedly purchased the degrees for promotions or pay raises would be released during the course of the trial.

The trial will not start for another year, though. Judge Lonny Suko of the District Court of the Eastern District of Washington delayed it until Oct. 1, 2007, to give attorneys more time to prepare. Suko said more than 150,000 pages of e-mails, 40 CDs of documents and up to 50 witnesses will be used.

(more at link) <http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1006/101706r1.htm>

[Lasher]

1. How convenient

If I had employees in my charge I would check all their personnel files to see if any had claimed degrees from these fake universities. It would be easy to do. It is a common and appropriate corporate policy to immediately dismiss individuals who are found to have committed such a fraud to gain employment and/or promotions.

[NVMojo]

2. this is insane

[Historic NY]

3. More phonies but it should remain a secret......

<snip>
The 40-page indictment for defendants Steven Randock, Dixie Randock, Richard Novak, Blake Carlson, Amy Hensley, Heidi Lorhan, Roberta Markishtum and Kenneth Pearson accuses them of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, among other offenses. Pearson pleaded guilty last week.


The defendants allegedly set up a number of bogus universities, including "Saint Regis University," "James Monroe University" and "Trinity Christian School." They then sold diplomas and fake transcripts without requiring any coursework or testing.


One of the fake universities, "Robertstown University," used a photograph of Blenheim Castle, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and home of the Duke of Marlborough, to depict its campus on a Web site, according to the indictment.


In 2004, the Office of Personnel Management held seminars to train federal managers on spotting fake degrees. OPM and congressional overseers stepped up efforts to thwart diploma mills after Laura Callahan, a senior director in the Homeland Security Department chief information officer's office, was found to have purchased her degrees from an alleged diploma mill in Wyoming.
<snip>

[Up2Late]

6. Yup, and for me, it's the "...OPM held seminars in 2004..." that gets me!

Heck of a Job OPM!:banghead:

[yellowcanine]

4. Can't they just fire them? If the degree is fake and they need it for the

job/promotion, it is a firing offense. Am I missing something here?

[Katzenjammer]

5. This is another special law to benefit the owner class

If someone buys a diploma knowing that it's fake, how can there be fraud involved on the part of the seller?

If the buyer uses the diploma to get a job because the employer illegally requires a degree, how can they get away with firing the person? Why isn't it on the employer to show that a certain degree (e.g., MD/DO) is a bona fide job requirement? That's how the law worked in the '70s -- all job ads had to read "or equivalent experience". When did the law change?

[truthisfreedom]

7. we need a leaker on this.

c'mon, somebody. leak it!

[Up2Late]

8. I bet one of those people in Washington State, who's about to go to jail

...will leak some info soon. This sounds like another "House of Cards" story, that would quickly collapse if someone leaked just one name.

[goforit]

9. The only degree they have is probably staight from a Federal penetentary

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. Don't they do extensive background checks anymore?

I remember back in the day when in order to get a job with the Feds, you would be investigated first.

[Up2Late]

12. Sure, but now the background check is, they do a credit check...

...and check your party voting record.

[KansDem]

11. Man! I still owe $20,000 on my "bogus degree"

It's real, all right...just didn't open any doors for me.

How do I get one of these real bogus ones that can land me a cushy, high-paying job in the government?

[Up2Late]

13. kick n/t

:kick: