College Aid Scam Enabled Euclid Woman To Steal $205,000

EUCLID, OH — A 69-year-old Euclid woman will spend the next five and a half years in federal prison for pulling a college aid scam that saw the government send her $205,000 over four years.

“This money was supposed to be used to help legitimate students pay for tuition and cover the cost of books and supplies,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This defendant got hundreds of thousands of dollars because she is a scammer. This prison sentence is deserved.”

Elizabeth Westmoreland, 69, of Euclid, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison this week. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft.

Between 2013 and 2017, Westmoreland would recruit "students" whose identities she would use to fraudulently enroll them in several community colleges, including Lakeland Community College, Owens Community College, University of Rio Grande, and Edison State Community College. One of the students used in the scheme was actually incarcerated during the time he was supposed to be attending Lakeland, court documents said.

Westmoreland would then apply for financial aid for the enrolled students. The aid was supposed to be used to cover the cost of tuition, books, supplies, transportation and other fees. The money was sent directly from the U.S. Department of Education to students, court documents said.

The "students" and Westmoreland split the proceeds of the money. The checks would be mailed out, to Westmoreland, and she would take the students to cash the checks and divvy up the money, court documents said.

The Euclid woman would either then do the required coursework, or arrange for the coursework to be done, so the financial aid would continue rolling in, the Department of Justice said.

In total, the U.S. Department of Education was defrauded of approximately $178,476. The Social Security Administration was also defrauded of about $27,267 as part of the conspiracy.

The Social Security Administration — Office of Inspector General and the US Department of Education — Office of Inspector General investigated Westmoreland.

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