A Virginia man is facing multiple felony charges for falsifying documents to get in-state tuition rates for his daughter while she attended the University of Georgia.
UGA police on Wednesday obtained warrants charging 46-year-old Pierre P. Mortemousque with four counts of theft by deception and one count of false statements and writings.
Each theft charge is for the four semesters Mortemousqueâs daughter attended UGA under reduced tuition rates, UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said Friday.
Police have been speaking with Mortemousqueâs attorney to have the suspect surrender to local authorities, Williamson said.
The warrants culminated an investigation that began more than six weeks ago when police received an anonymous tip that the Lynchburg man lied about being a Georgia resident when applying for his daughterâs tuition at UGA, Williamson said.
During the investigation, Mortemousque made full restitution of the $37,020 in savings he accrued by paying in-state tuition for his daughter, the police chief said.
The daughter also left UGA because of the probe to continue her education at another college, he said.
In tuition application documents, Mortemousque gave an address in Atlanta, where he owns an efficiency apartment, according to Williamson.
In the 400 or so days he rented the apartment, the man stayed there for only about 90 days, he said.
Mortemousqueâs primary residence is in Lynchburg, the address he gave when applying for in-state Virginia tuition so that another of his children could attend college in that state, according to Williamson.
âItâs unfortunate that the way finances are for some people. They try to get creative to the point of breaking law to make ends meet,â Williamson said.
The police chief said it was the first case he knows of in which an out-of-state resident claimed to live in Georgia to pay in-state tuition rates. He believes others are doing it, or have done it, but have not been caught.
âI hope people think twice before they jeopardize themselves by getting arrested and putting their children in a bad situation,â Williamson said.
UGA police on Wednesday obtained warrants charging 46-year-old Pierre P. Mortemousque with four counts of theft by deception and one count of false statements and writings.
Each theft charge is for the four semesters Mortemousqueâs daughter attended UGA under reduced tuition rates, UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said Friday.
Police have been speaking with Mortemousqueâs attorney to have the suspect surrender to local authorities, Williamson said.
The warrants culminated an investigation that began more than six weeks ago when police received an anonymous tip that the Lynchburg man lied about being a Georgia resident when applying for his daughterâs tuition at UGA, Williamson said.
During the investigation, Mortemousque made full restitution of the $37,020 in savings he accrued by paying in-state tuition for his daughter, the police chief said.
The daughter also left UGA because of the probe to continue her education at another college, he said.
In tuition application documents, Mortemousque gave an address in Atlanta, where he owns an efficiency apartment, according to Williamson.
In the 400 or so days he rented the apartment, the man stayed there for only about 90 days, he said.
Mortemousqueâs primary residence is in Lynchburg, the address he gave when applying for in-state Virginia tuition so that another of his children could attend college in that state, according to Williamson.
âItâs unfortunate that the way finances are for some people. They try to get creative to the point of breaking law to make ends meet,â Williamson said.
The police chief said it was the first case he knows of in which an out-of-state resident claimed to live in Georgia to pay in-state tuition rates. He believes others are doing it, or have done it, but have not been caught.
âI hope people think twice before they jeopardize themselves by getting arrested and putting their children in a bad situation,â Williamson said.