Used Phony Credentials
Hole-y Diplomas: 2 In FDNY Arrested

By ARI PAUL

The Department of Investigation arrested two individuals Oct. 11 for supplying fake high school credentials to obtain jobs in the Fire Department.

ROSE GILL HEARN: School's out.

Tyeasha McGriff and Shaquanna Moye were "arrested on charges of Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, which are both class D felonies; and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony," a DOI statement said.

Face 7 Years in Jail

The two were attempting to become Emergency Medical Technicians. They face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

The DOI arrested four other individuals since June for giving the FDNY fake high school diplomas or equivalency certificates. The individuals had been seeking positions as Firefighters, EMTs and Clerical Associates.

Last month, in the culmination of another DOI probe, the FDNY fined 14 firefighters about $135,000 collectively for submitting bogus diplomas in order to advance their careers.

"These arrests are the tangible result of the diligence of DOI's investigators and the improved procedures the FDNY has established to catch individuals trying to scam degree requirements," DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn said in a statement. "DOI and the FDNY have remained vigilant on this issue and the two agencies continue to work together to ensure the degree verification process remains consistent and fair for those individuals who work hard to get their educational requirements honestly. I commend the FDNY for improving their procedures leading to the detection of these cases."