CCSN teacher charged with fraud

Jennifer Knight

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 9:46 a.m.

Criminal charges have been filed in North Las Vegas District Court against Community College of Southern Nevada teacher Vincent Ricci for allegedly padding enrollment numbers and falsifying government documents to receive extra money for classes he taught.

The attorney general's office filed the criminal charges against Ricci Wednesday, and a summons to appear in court was issued. Ricci faces four counts of felony theft by false pretenses and one count of false reporting by a public officer, a gross misdemeanor.

Ricci, an Italian language teacher who has earned tenure, still remains at CCSN as a counselor. Ricci was contacted Thursday and refused to comment.

The charges stem from a 10-month investigation by the attorney general's office completed in March.

Ricci's case was expected to go before the grand jury along with that of former CCSN administrator Orlando Sandoval, who in June was indicted on nepotism charges.

The charges against Sandoval, however, were dismissed Wednesday by District Judge Donald Mosley, who ruled that Senior Deputy Attorney General Brian Kunzi erred when he gave grand jurors a copy of the college's policy manual, which defines nepotism.

According to the criminal complaint against Ricci, the teacher recruited students for his Italian language class and kept them on the class roster even though they never attended. In return, Ricci met attendance requirements, which keep his class from being canceled. He received $1,695 per class.

The practice of placing phantom students on the roster and then accepting money based on their presence is considered felony theft. The incidents involving Ricci allegedly began in the fall of 1997 and continued through the spring of 1999. According to a report of the incident, Ricci received a sum total of $10,125 for the classes in question.

According to the attorney general's report, Ricci regularly enrolled family members in his courses. In 1997 three of the students who received an "A" in Ricci's class were family members, according to the report.

One non-family member, who apparently stopped attending the course, received an "A," nevertheless. He later reported to investigators that he wasn't aware he had received a grade for the class. A similar chain of irregularities occurred during the following years, according to the report.

In one alleged instance, Ricci had a 12-year-old girl enroll in one of his classes, said Ron Meek, a provost at CCSN's Henderson campus who investigated the case before turning the information over to the attorney general's office.

"During my 34-year career, from college student to community college and university president, I have never run across anything close to this case," Meek said. "As a result of being one of the assigned investigative officers, it is my opinion that it offers unique insight into the issue of academic integrity."

Ricci faces up to five years in prison or up to $10,000 in fines for each count of felony theft, according to the Clark County District Attorney's office.

The case brings to light other issues. If Ricci allegedly gave letter grades to several students who never attended his course, what should the system do if those grades were used for credit toward a diploma? Another benefit for no-show students who receive an "A" regards grade point averages.

Regent Tom Kirkpatrick said if prosecutors prove their case and a conviction is given, he would pursue the removal of those grades.

"I have advised the chancellor that after the proper legal action is taken, I will then formally request that all of the grades that were illegally given be removed from the transcripts," Kirkpatrick said. "I understand there are a couple who graduated using those grades. I guess if you really pushed it you could withdraw their diploma."

As a result of the investigation, a sabbatical Ricci had planned was canceled in April by CCSN's former interim president Mike Meyer.

If convicted, regents and administrators have the right to terminate Ricci, despite his tenured status.