South Carolina Woman Sentenced on Charges of Federal Student Aid Fraud Involving Webster University in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS—The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Michelle Owens was sentenced to 51 months in prison and was ordered to pay $128,852 restitution. Owens submitted fraudulent Webster University applications and fraudulent Department of Education financial aid applications in the names of 23 different Leath, South Carolina Correctional Institution inmates seeking admission and student loans in the approximate amount of $467,500. Owens was confined to Leath from December 2007 to September 2008, and worked in the prison’s Education Department, where she had access to the personal information of other inmates.

According to court documents at the time of her plea, from December 2007 to October 2009, Owens submitted online applications for admission to Webster University’s distance learning program in the names of individuals who were inmates at Leath without their knowledge. Owens intended to use the financial aid funds for improper non-education purposes. On those applications, Owens used several residential addresses located in South Carolina. Based upon the information contained on the applications, Webster University accepted the individuals and mailed the letters to South Carolina. Additionally, Owens falsely applied for federal student financial aid on behalf of the inmates by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) either by computer over the internet or by paper application using the inmates’ personal information. Once Webster University received the required supporting documentation, they created a financial aid package for that “applicant” and mailed the award notification to the same South Carolina addresses controlled by Owens.

Owens received the excess financial aid intended for the inmate “applicants” through Higher One, Inc. in the form of debit/MasterCard cards, which she cashed or used for personal expenses totaling $124,821.

MICHELLE N. OWENS, Florence, SC, pled guilty on Monday, June 6, in Florence, SC to one count of federal student financial aid fraud and one felony count of mail fraud, and appeared Thursday, September 29 for sentencing in Florence, SC.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Education. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Brad Parham in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Florence, South Carolina.