Former High School Counselor Embroiled in $10,000 Scholarship Scam
In a shocking turn of events, Mellissa Krystynak, a 49-year-old former high school counselor from Stuart, Florida, has been indicted on six counts of mail fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Greenbrier West High School and several scholarship organizations in West Virginia.
According to the indictment, Krystynak used her administrator access to the school’s grading system to inflate over 35 of her daughter’s grades between her time as a school counselor at Greenbrier West from 2011 until 2017. The indictment alleges that with Krystynak’s assistance, her daughter applied for and was awarded over $10,000 in financial scholarships during her senior year.
The indictment charges Krystynak with causing the scholarship checks to be mailed to her daughter’s college. If convicted, Krystynak faces up to 20 years in prison for each count.
The investigation is being conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriele Wohl is handling the prosecution.
Krystynak’s initial appearance is scheduled on October 3, 2018, in front of United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn in Beckley.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and Krystynak is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The indictment can be found here.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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