Former High School Counselor Indicted For Fraud Scheme

Greenbrier West High School Counselor Changed Daughter’s Grades to Obtain Financial Scholarships

BECKLEY, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that yesterday a federal grand jury indicted Mellissa Krystynak, of Stuart, Florida, on six counts of mail fraud relating to a scheme to defraud Greenbrier West High School and several scholarship organizations.

Krystynak, 49, was a school counselor at Greenbrier West from 2011 until 2017. While she was employed there, two of her children attended the school. The indictment alleges that Krystynak used her administrator access to the school’s grading system to inflate over 35 of her daughters’ grades. The indictment goes on to allege that, with Krystynak’s assistance, one of her daughters applied for and was awarded over $10,000 in financial scholarships during her senior year. These scholarships were based on applications containing the fraudulent report cards and transcripts. The indictment charges Krystynak with causing the scholarship checks to be mailed to her daughter’s college.

Krystynak’s initial appearance is scheduled on October 3, 2018 in front of United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn in Beckley.  Krystynak faces up to 20 years in prison for each count.

The investigation is being conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education.  Assistant United States Attorney Gabriele Wohl is handling the prosecution.

The indictment can be found 

Please note:  An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

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