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Pennsylvania Cyber School object of federal investigation
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Federal agents executed a series of search warrants today at Pennsylvania Cyber School offices in Beaver County and several other locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Agents from the FBI, the criminal division of the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Education's inspector general's arm searched the school's executive office at 1200 Midland Ave. in Midland, an accounting firm in Koppel, Beaver County, and several other locations.
The U.S. attorney's office in Pittsburgh said in a statement only that the searches are part of an investigation and that the cyber school, "as an entity, is not a current target of this investigation."
In at least one location, Prence Certified Public Accountants in Koppel, IRS and FBI agents were seen carrying boxes out of the building.
Federal authorities refused to comment further on the case.
The school is the largest in the state and enrolled more than 11,300 students in 2011-2012. Founder and former CEO Nick Trombetta, 57, announced in May that he was leaving the school to "try something else."
Mr. Trombetta, superintendent of the former Midland School District, started planning the school in 1998 after no other districts would take students from Midland.
The cyber school opened in 2000 with 500 students and now has offices in Allegheny County, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, State College, Allentown, Erie and Greensburg.
First Published July 12, 2012 4:35 pm
