On Tuesday, November 26, 2013, the Fulton County Grand Jury charged Domonique Scott with one count of Forgery in the First Degree (O.C.G.A. § 16-9-1) and three counts of False Statements (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20) for falsifying an application to provide tutoring to low income children.

In January 2010, Scott submitted an application to the Georgia Department of Education to qualify as a provider for a federal program called Supplemental Education Services (SES). SES offers free academic assistance, such as tutoring or remedial help, to low income families whose children attend a Title I school that has been designated by the State to be in need of improvement for more than one year. At the time of this offense, the State approved SES providers through an application process that aimed to vet each provider’s educational abilities as well as their financial stability.

The indictment alleges that on her application, Scott falsified the financial assets and liabilities of her company, A Love of Learning Tutoring, making it appear as if it was thriving when, in fact, it only existed on paper. She provided a false balance sheet, a false statement of net income, a program summary showing a false start date for the company and a forged letter from a fictitious financial institution representing a non-existent cash line of credit.

As a result of her fraudulent application, Scott’s company was hired to tutor children in Bibb, Richmond, Muscogee, DeKalb and Clayton Counties. The company has been terminated from the SES program.

Forgery in the First Degree is punishable by one to ten years imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000. False Statements is punishable by one to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000.

Assistant Attorney General Blair McGowan is prosecuting the case on behalf of the State of Georgia. The case was investigated by former Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Wesley Horne, William Donaldson of the Office of the State Inspector General, and La’Trishia Stallings of the U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General.