Quote:Last updated March 26, 2008 8:16 p.m. PT

Woman pleads guilty in Spokane WA diploma mill case
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A leader of a Spokane-based diploma mill pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

Dixie Ellen Randock, 58, a high school dropout, sold fraudulent college degrees and transcripts from more than 125 bogus online universities she created.

She faces a maximum three years in prison and $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in several weeks in U.S. District Court.

Her husband, Steven K. Randock Sr., and Dixie Randock's daughter, Heidi Kae Lorhan, are also expected to enter pleas soon. The final defendant, Roberta Lynn Markishtrum, is also reportedly negotiating a deal with the U.S. attorney's office.

An indictment returned in 2005 said Dixie Randock and others used their string of fictional online universities to sell college degrees and transcripts to more than 8,200 customers, including foreigners and U.S. government employees around the world.

Authorities say the bogus degrees could be used to circumvent U.S. immigration laws and to help the degree holders win promotions and pay raises in government jobs.

The conspirators also manufactured and sold counterfeit copies of degrees and transcripts from legitimate universities, court documents showed.

The Randocks were accused of using a Spokane print shop and a rented basement office in Post Falls, Idaho, to sell counterfeit degrees from the University of Maryland, the University of Tennessee, Texas A&M and George Washington University.

The Randocks had faced a June trial. Investigators allege the operation took in $5 million.

Hundreds of government employees are among the people who paid thousands of dollars for phony diplomas, which used names such as St. Regis University, James Monroe University and Robertstown University, lawyers have said.

Investigators also have asserted that more than $43,000 in bribes were paid to three Liberian diplomats, including one payment that was videotaped by Secret Service agents at a hotel in Washington, D.C. Government lawyers have said diplomatic immunity precludes charges against the diplomats.

The Liberian "Board of Education" offered accreditation for the diploma mills in exchange for the bribes, according to court filings.

A task force of state and federal agents served search warrants in August 2005 after investigators found many of the phony degrees were sold in Saudi Arabia, raising national security concerns.

Quote:, March 26, 2008 - Page updated at 08:38 PM

Woman pleads guilty in Spokane WA diploma mill case

A leader of a Spokane-based diploma mill pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

Dixie Ellen Randock, 58, a high school dropout, sold fraudulent college degrees and transcripts from more than 125 bogus online universities she created.

She faces a maximum three years in prison and $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in several weeks in U.S. District Court.

Her husband, Steven K. Randock Sr., and Dixie Randock's daughter, Heidi Kae Lorhan, are also expected to enter pleas soon. The final defendant, Roberta Lynn Markishtrum, is also reportedly negotiating a deal with the U.S. attorney's office.

An indictment returned in 2005 said Dixie Randock and others used their string of fictional online universities to sell college degrees and transcripts to more than 8,200 customers, including foreigners and U.S. government employees around the world.

Authorities say the bogus degrees could be used to circumvent U.S. immigration laws and to help the degree holders win promotions and pay raises in government jobs.

The conspirators also manufactured and sold counterfeit copies of degrees and transcripts from legitimate universities, court documents showed.

The Randocks were accused of using a Spokane print shop and a rented basement office in Post Falls, Idaho, to sell counterfeit degrees from the University of Maryland, the University of Tennessee, Texas A&M and George Washington University.

The Randocks had faced a June trial. Investigators allege the operation took in $5 million.

Hundreds of government employees are among the people who paid thousands of dollars for phony diplomas, which used names such as St. Regis University, James Monroe University and Robertstown University, lawyers have said.

Investigators also have asserted that more than $43,000 in bribes were paid to three Liberian diplomats, including one payment that was videotaped by Secret Service agents at a hotel in Washington, D.C. Government lawyers have said diplomatic immunity precludes charges against the diplomats.

The Liberian "Board of Education" offered accreditation for the diploma mills in exchange for the bribes, according to court filings.

A task force of state and federal agents served search warrants in August 2005 after investigators found many of the phony degrees were sold in Saudi Arabia, raising national security concerns.

Quote:Guilty pleas entered in Diploma Mill scam

Posted: March 26, 2008 11:18 AM PDT

Updated: March 26, 2008 11:19 AM PDT

Story by:

Melissa Luck / KXLY4 Executive Producer

SPOKANE -- Most of the defendants in the Spokane diploma mill case pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in U.S. District Court.

Dixie and Steve Randock and her daughter, Heidi Lorhan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. The Randocks were accused of operating several online diploma mills, including the fictitious St. Regis University.

Prosecutors allege the mills brought in more than $2 million. The operators sold fake diplomas online and even created false transcripts to send out to customers.

Court records also allege the operators of these local diploma mills were bribing government officials from Liberia, paying them thousands of dollars for accreditation. Several people have already pleaded guilty in connection with the scam.

D00bie Wrote:Did you scoop the other boards ? or was Gollin too embarrassed to announce this ?

Herbert?Spencer Wrote:Gollum is probably in mourning because his entire reason for existence soon will be yesterday's news.

Quote:P.M. dropped out of high school in tenth grade and her prior work experience included working as a farrier, grading potatoes for a produce company in Alaska, gas station attendant, and nurse's aide.

Quote:ADLP, NAHE, etc.: we know who "H" is, now don't we?

Don?Dresden Wrote:Plus Gollum's still got a hard on for Hoyer too.