Diploma Mill Operator Sentenced

Seller of Fake Diplomas Gets Eight Months

By Associated Press
Published April 6, 2004, 6:40 AM CDT

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A 75-year-old man who made millions of dollars selling phony diplomas to a made-up university was sentenced to eight months in prison, a prosecutor said.

Ronald Pellar, owner and operator of the bogus Columbia State University, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Alicemarie Stotler after pleading guilty to nine counts of mail fraud in January, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Gaffney said.

Authorities said Columbia State claimed to be a government-approved university in Louisiana and have accreditation to offer bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees by correspondence -- in as little as one month.

Pellar took in millions of dollars from people around the country for the degrees that cost $1,500 to $3,000, Gaffney said.

However, many of the "students" were not victims because they "wanted a fraudulent degree to show to employers for promotion," he said.

Pellar also was ordered to pay restitution of $45,835 and forfeit his ownership of a $1.5 million yacht, which prosecutors said was bought with revenue from the scheme.

 

Make millions, give up 45K and a boat, and 6 months. That ought to really discourage diploma mill operators.

 

Pellar was actually sentenced to 75 months custody and was given credit for the 67 months time which he has served on the unrelated charges (his previous fake school, jury tampering, witness intimidation, and escape).

The fact that the boat is in international waters may make recovery a problem, and if it is in Mexico, probably even more of a problem, since Mexico often does not cooperate with the US in such matters.

And the US government was unable to find any of the many many millions that Pellar took in.

So let's mark our calendars for December 2004, when he'll be a free man, and ready to do it all over again.

 

If Pellar had robbed a liquor store and took $100, he'd have gotten more time. It's a weird country.

 

Not necessarily, John.

With 75 months probation to serve the authorities could fit President Pellar with one of those in-house detention devices. You know, the kind which sends an electronic signal if the detainee leaves the restricted area.

This device could be programmed to send a signal if:

1. Pellar moves to within 10 feet of a copy machine.
2. Pellar comes in contact with any type of parchment paper.
3. Pellar speaks any of the following words: degree, university, etc...
4. Pellar makes personal contact with ACI.
5. Pellar orders delivery from a Louisiana restaurant.

However, the 75 months could be reduced if he spent one hour per day surfing/participating on DegreeInfo................

 

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune (some years ago), Pellar invested a million dollars in the start-up of Cambridge State University, then claiming to be in Louisiana, apparently as a sort of safety-valve, in case his Columbia State closed. Cambridge State was booted out of Louisiana, but continues with a mailbox in Hawaii, always run from southern California . . . and always accredited by Maxine Asher's World Association of Universities and Colleges.

 

I assume the million dollars for start up is mostly marketing right?

It ain't far no edumacation stuff.

 

I wonder how God sentences fake seminary proprietors and promoters?

 

"one of those in-house detention devices"

At first glance I read this as 'detonation devices', which, on reflection, sound far more effective!