TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Florida couple has been indicted on accusations that they cheated the state’s educator testing, certification, and licensing process.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Lawrence Keefe, joined by representatives from the law enforcement agencies who conducted the investigation leading to this indictment, the indictment is for more than 100 counts against Kathleen and Jeremy Jasper.
The Jaspers are accused of accessing the questions and answers to Florida's teacher certification exam and sold those answers to others through their Estero, Fla. company NavaEd.
According to the indictment, NavaEd offered tutoring and training to prepare prospective Florida educators to pass the exams.
The indictment alleges the Jaspers took the exams multiple times, after having already passed the exam, in order to “harvest,” as many different exam questions as possible. The Jaspers are also accused of telling NavaEd employees and independent contractors to take the exams for the same purpose.
Keefe believes a "significant number" of people and organizations got access to the test through these two individuals. States other than Florida, as well as other countries, were involved in the case.
The indictment also alleges that the Jaspers republished the stolen test content into NavaEd publications sold worldwide directly through its website and through third-party e-commerce websites such as Amazon and Shopify.
“Today’s indictment alleges that these two so-called educators knowingly and willfully preyed on school districts and teachers, and taxpayer money. Together with our law enforcement partners, we were able to stop them,” said Kori Smith, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southern Regional Office.
Keefe said the Florida Department of Education has been "an excellent partner who's cooperated in all of this."
An initial appearance and arraignment has been scheduled for Friday, December 11, 2020 before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Martin Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
