Seal
________________________________________________________________________





*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

October 29, 2024

www.texasattorneygeneral.gov




*PRESS OFFICE: (512) 463-2050*

[email protected]





 

* *

*Attorney General Ken Paxton* *Announces Indictments Against Participants In “Pay-To-Pass” Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain Texas Teacher Certifications *

 

AUSTIN – A grand jury in Harris County has issued indictments against five individuals involved in a scheme to help unqualified individuals fraudulently obtain Texas teacher certifications. The operation enabled aspiring teachers, who could not pass the Texas Education Agency (“TEA”) licensing exams on their own, to fraudulently obtain passing scores.

 

The defendants include Vincent Grayson, 57, the alleged scheme organizer; Nicolas Newton, 35, Tywana Gilford Mason, 51, Darian Wilhite, 22, and LaShonda Roberts, 39. Each defendant is charged with two felony counts of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity. The defendants face up to 20 years of incarceration for their role in the scheme.

 

The operation involved teacher candidates paying Grayson to arrange for Newton to complete the TEA licensing exams on their behalf. Candidates would enter a testing center, provide their identification to a cooperating employee, and leave while Newton completed the exams in their place, allowing unqualified individuals to falsely obtain certification.

 

The investigation was conducted by Attorney General Paxton’s Criminal Investigations Division, in cooperation with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Education Agency.

   

###







Stay Connected with Office of Texas Attorney General on
Facebook [ [link removed] ] - Twitter [ [link removed] ] - Instagram [ [link removed] ] - Email [ [link removed] ]

 Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ [link removed] ]. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ].


________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Office of Texas Attorney General ·300 W. 15th Street · Austin, TX 78701 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]