New York Firefighters Fined for Fake Diplomas

[PVFD233 68]

New York Firefighters Fined for Fake Diplomas

By DAVID SEIFMAN

Courtesy of The New York Post

September 7, 2007 -- Fourteen FDNY members caught submitting bogus college credits bought from an online diploma mill have agreed to pay fines totaling about $136,000, The Post has learned.

The individual penalties range from about $4,000 to $25,000. "They agreed to this settlement in lieu of going to [administrative] trial," said a source. The Department of Investigation reported in January that 13 members of the FDNY and one civilian applying to become a firefighter provided fake degrees and course work from "St. Regis University" or its affiliates.

DOI said the college was a fake that peddled academic credentials to anyone who forked over its fees, typically several hundred dollars.

In some cases, DOI said the coursework was backdated "so the FDNY members could comply with the necessary educational requirements in order to be hired or promoted."

Sources said all the personnel involved, including battalion chiefs, have since completed genuine courses to qualify for their jobs.

Republished with permission from The New York Post

Sources said all the personnel involved, including battalion chiefs, have since completed genuine courses to qualify for their jobs.

If they did that in the first place.