Former College Head And Two Others Indicted For Stealing Millions In Ohio

Three people face criminal charges for allegedly stealing twenty million dollars in public and Pell Grant funds meant for students at Eastern Gateway Community College. Ohio state auditor Keith Faber announced the indictment alongside Department of Education official Nicholas Kent during a press conference on Thursday. The accused include former college president and chief financial officer Michael Geoghegan, along with Student Resource Center co-owners Michael Perik and Nicole Rowe Colclasure.

Charges And Methods

Investigators state that the defendants gave Pell Grants to students who did not qualify for them, which sent millions of dollars to the company run by Perik and Colclasure. The charges also include bribery and record tampering because the group allegedly changed school documents to hide the scheme. These criminal acts happened between 2017 and 2022, a time when student enrollment jumped from about 8,500 people to more than 60,000.

Context

Public officials and media outlets raised questions about the college programs and student funding years before the school shut down in 2024. Federal and state reviews into financial practices eventually led to investigations by both the Higher Learning Commission and the Department of Education.