A grand jury in Harris County has indicted five individuals for their involvement in a scheme that allowed unqualified individuals to fraudulently obtain Texas teacher certifications. The operation, which helped aspiring teachers who could not pass the Texas Education Agency (TEA) licensing exams on their own, resulted in these individuals receiving passing scores under false pretenses.
The defendants include Vincent Grayson, 57, identified as the alleged organizer of the scheme; Nicolas Newton, 35; Tywana Gilford Mason, 51; Darian Wilhite, 22; and LaShonda Roberts, 39. Each faces two felony counts of engaging in organized criminal activity and could face up to 20 years in prison for their roles.
According to authorities, the operation involved teacher candidates paying Grayson to have Newton take the TEA licensing exams on their behalf. Candidates would enter a testing center, present their identification to a cooperating employee, and then leave while Newton completed the exams for them. This process enabled unqualified individuals to obtain certification fraudulently.
The investigation was carried out by Attorney General Ken Paxton's Criminal Investigations Division in collaboration with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Education Agency.