MBA cat nabs online diploma mill

United Press International
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004 12:00 a.m. | Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004 12:00 a.m.

Pennsylvania officials investigating an alleged online diploma mill put forward a fine candidate for an executive MBA degree -- a cat named Colby Nolan.

Brothers Craig Barton Poe and Alton Scott Poe at Trinity Southern University apparently agreed Colby was a good candidate and allegedly awarded him a MBA degree for a $399 fee, WCAU-TV Philadelphia reported Tuesday.

The brothers, along with the Texas-based online college and Innovative Cellular and Wireless Inc., now find themselves party to a fraud suit by Pennsylvania Attorney General Jerry Pappert.

Investigators allege the defendants sent more than 18,000 illegal e-mail messages to promote the sale of online degrees, for which they charged between $299 and $499 for bachelor's, master's, executive master's or Ph.D. degrees.

The complaint asks the court to make the defendants forfeit their rights to conduct business in Pennsylvania and pay civil fines and investigative costs.

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