Domonique Scott pled guilty on July 2, 2015, in Fulton County Superior Court to one count of Forgery in the First Degree (O.C.G.A. § 16-9-1) and three counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20) for falsifying an application to provide tutoring to low income children.

Judge Robert McBurney sentenced Scott to 15 years with one year to be served in confinement. The confinement will be commuted to time served upon completion of 180 days in a probation detention center. The remainder of sentence will be served on probation.

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.

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 purpose of the Supplemental Education Services program is to assist needy children struggling in low performing schools,” said Attorney General Sam Olens. “It is deplorable that Ms. Scott exploited this program in order to line her own pockets.”

The special conditions of Scott’s probation are that she cannot work as or apply to work as an SES provider, she cannot apply for any grants or special funding from state or federal agencies, she must pay restitution in the amount of $230,952.91 to the Georgia Department of Education, and she must submit to a substance abuse evaluation and follow any recommended treatment.

Assistant Attorney General Blair McGowan prosecuted 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.