Posted on 12/07/2004 12:47:30 PM PST by Justaham
By MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press Writer
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania attorney general's office Monday sued an online university for allegedly selling bogus academic degrees — including an MBA awarded to a cat.
Trinity Southern University in Texas, a cellular company and the two brothers who ran them are accused of misappropriating Internet addresses of the state Senate and more than 60 Pennsylvania businesses to sell fake degrees and prescription drugs by spam e-mail, according to the lawsuit.
Investigators paid $299 for a bachelor's degree for Colby Nolan — a deputy attorney general's 6-year-old black cat — claiming he had experience including baby-sitting and retail management.
The school, which offers no classes, allegedly determined Colby Nolan's resume entitled him to a master of business administration degree; a transcript listed the cat's course work and 3.5 grade-point average.
The state is seeking a permanent injunction, civil penalties, costs and restitution for violating consumer law and restrictions on unsolicited e-mail ads.
Prosecutors said more than 18,000 illegal e-mails were sent out this year with links to Trinity Southern's Web address, including 300 that appeared to originate from the Internet servers of Pennsylvania companies and institutions.
Among the alleged victims are Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as numerous Internet service providers, businesses and technology companies.
The defendants are the school; Innovative Cellular and Wireless Inc. of Corpus Christi, Texas; Alton Scott Poe of St. Cloud, Fla., vice chancellor and dean of admission for Trinity; and Craig Barton Poe of Frisco, Texas, president of Innovative Cellular.
A phone message left at Trinity Southern was not returned Monday. None of the other three defendants appears to have a listed or published phone number.
I spelled cat with a "6" and still I didn't find the article!
"What a revolting development this is!
Should have given their degree-granting a cat-scan."
Perhaps a lab-report is forthcoming.
Craig Barton Poe (b. 1969)
5404 Golden Sunset Ct
Frisco , TX 75034-1733
Alton Scott Poe (b. 1964)
5262 Hammock Cir
Saint Cloud FL 34771-8765
- mwd
Read the article...it saves a lot of time and aggravation.
"Trinity Southern University in Texas, a cellular company and the two brothers who ran them are accused of misappropriating Internet addresses of the state Senate and more than 60 Pennsylvania businesses to sell fake degrees and prescription drugs by spam e-mail, according to the lawsuit.
"Prosecutors said more than 18,000 illegal e-mails were sent out this year with links to Trinity Southern's Web address, including 300 that appeared to originate from the Internet servers of Pennsylvania companies and institutions
"Among the alleged victims are Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as numerous Internet service providers, businesses and technology companies."
In case it still isn't clear, this wasn't a simple scam to sell degrees. It's illegal drug sales, spamming, slamming, spoofing and hijacking. The PA AG sued in order to get the FBI involved. Since it's published news, the investigation is probably finished. Next up : charges, followed by other universities or politicos etc across the country stepping up with THEIR complaints, followed by indictments coinciding with arrests, followed by trials.
Obviously they didn't realize there was a performance claws.
Sorry.
kitty ping
Looks like Kent Hovind and Laura Callahan are getting company.
Damn, I knew it was either a tilde or an umlout!
I even wrote it in chinese charaters, long and short form!
Yeah, the cat's out of the bag on bogus degrees!
Two of my cats are jealous, and the other thinks she's smarter than any human with a degree anyway. ;)
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