3 Years for Dixie

[Dickie Billericay]

Overs had winners, as Dixie gets the 3-year max.

Diploma Mill ringleader gets maximum sentence

Posted: July 2, 2008 11:18 AM PDT

Updated: July 2, 2008 11:37 AM PDT

Story by:

Melissa Luck / KXLY4 Executive Producer
Brian Clark / Internet Content Editor, KXLY.com

SPOKANE -- Dixie Randock, the ringleader of a Spokane based phony diploma racket, has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Three years was the maximum sentence that could have been imposed on Randock. Her husband Steve and daughter, Heidi Lorhan, were also scheduled to be sentenced later in the day.

All three pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud charges in March of this year.

Prosecutors say the family, along with associates, raked in more than $6 million while hawking phony diplomas for universities that don't exist. Operating out of their home in Mead and various businesses throughout the area, some 8200 bogus degrees were mailed from Spokane to customers around the world.

The diploma mill operators most notably fabricated St. Regis University, showing pictures of Winston Churchill's childhood home as the alleged campus and bribing Liberian officials for accreditation.

Numerous others were indicted and subsequently pled guilty to their involvement in the racket.