A Greenwood woman will spend nearly five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft in connection with obtaining federal student aid.
Shantel McClung, aka Shantel Davis, 31, was sentenced Friday in Aberdeen after pleading guilty to mail fraud, fraud in relation to federal student aid and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Felicia C. Adams announced Tuesday.
McClung was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She also was ordered to pay $374,000 in restitution.
The charges stemmed from a series of fraudulent applications for federal student aid submitted by McClung, the Justice Department said in a release. The applications sought aid for students enrolled in online courses.
McClung pleaded guilty in February. She is scheduled to report to prison on Oct. 27.
McClung is a former Mississippi Valley State University student but is no longer enrolled there.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General and the Secret Service.
“Federal student aid exists so that individuals can pursue and make their dream of a higher education a reality,” said Yessyka Santana, special agent in charge of the Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office.
“As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education, ensuring that those who steal student aid or game the system for their own selfish purposes are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of our mission.”
• Contact Charles Corder at 581-7241 or ccorder @gwcommonwealth.com.
