Oregon Public Broadcasting

Authorities in Olympia have cleared 10 Washington State Patrol troopers who patronized diploma mills. The officers bought bogus bachelor’s degrees online and then parlayed them into extra pay.

Thurston County deputy prosecutor Jon Tunheim says his office decided the troopers believed they were they were in the right.

Jon Tunheim: “It was our conclusion that we couldn’t find sufficient evidence of any kind of criminal intent.”

Tunheim says the officers involved all admitted to collecting undeserved pay as a result of their new degrees. Then, he says, then the troopers agreed to restitution.

Jon Tunheim: “Before we made our final decision, we verified that, in fact, they have repaid all of the money that they received as a result of that enhancement.”

Tunheim says the state patrol case is the only one stemming from a now-defunct Spokane diploma mill that has been referred to his office.