A Virginia man who authorities say falsely claimed he was a Georgia resident to get lower in-state tuition for his daughter at UGA is set to face criminal charges in October.
Pierre Mortemousque is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 14 in Clarke County Superior Court on one count of theft by deception. His arraignment had been slated for Wednesday but was continued, a court official said.
Mortemousque did not return a telephone call Wednesday requesting comment.
Mortemousque, of Lynchburg, Va., said in applying to UGA that an apartment he rented in Atlanta was his legal residence, which would allow his daughter to attend UGA at the discounted in-state tuition. But that claim conflicted with information he reported elsewhere, UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said.
According to newsadvance.com in Lynchburg, which cited Williamson, Mortemousque had another child for whom he claimed Virginia residency in order to obtain lower tuition at a school in that state.
An investigation also showed that Mortemousque had only used the Georgia apartment 90 of 400 days, Williamson said.
Mortemousque made full restitution of about $37,000 to cover what he'd saved on the cost of his daughter's two years in school by claiming in-state residency.
His daughter is no longer a student at UGA, university spokesman Bob Taylor said.
Police were not pursuing charges against her because her father took full responsibility, Williamson said.
Williamson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the case was the first criminal investigation in his 10 years as chief involving falsified residence papers.
He said other universities had contacted him to ask about the case.
About the Author
