In California, Mt. San Antonio College's fire program director suspected of stealing $500,000 from students

Deputies said Wednesday they suspect the director of Mt. San Antonio College's Fire Technology Program used a fake bank account to steal $500,000 from students.


Jerry Dewayne Austin, 56, of Norco was arrested last week and has been charged with two felony counts of forgery and two felony counts of identity theft, said Detective Steven French of the sheriff's Walnut/Diamond Bar Station.
Austin pleaded not guilty to the four felony counts during an arraignment Monday. He is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles in lieu of $3 million bail.
Austin is scheduled to appear for a bail reduction hearing at the Pomona Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. today.
No one answered the phone
at a number listed for Austin in Norco, and there was no voicemail or message machine.

French said he suspects Austin used an illegal bank account to steal the students' money.
"What I believe is he was overcharging students for classes and then he would take the overcharge and basically steal that money," French said.
"He opened a fraudulent bank account using Mt. San Antonio College's tax ID number, which is identity theft," French said. "He utilized one of the Mt. SAC Fire Academy staff's names and forged his name as the individual who opened the account, which is the forgery."
The instructor could face further charges related to theft, French said.
French is investigating why Austin, the
school's fire technology director, opened the account in the first place.

Austin named himself the administrator of the unauthorized bank account, French said.
"He could make deposits and withdrawals and had all the statements sent to him, so nobody knew what was going on," he said.
It's unclear how long Austin had kept the account open, French said.

The Fire Technology program usually has about 1,000 students enrolled per semester. It features classes such as fire prevention technology, fire management and wildland fire control - all needed by those looking to become firefighters or advance their firefighting careers.
An unidentified person tipped the college off to the bank account sometime in the fall, said Clarence Brown, Mt. SAC's director of marketing and public affairs.
Austin was placed on paid administrative leave in September when internal investigations began, Brown said.
He has been teaching at Mt. SAC since 2003, officials said.
Austin worked at the Anaheim Fire Department for 29 years and is a retired division chief fire marshal, according to the school's website.
Austin began his college education as a fire technology student at Santa Ana Community College in 1972 and has earned several titles, including arson investigator, captain, safety officer and battalion commander, according to the website.
"He has properties out of the country, and he's considered a flight risk," French said. "If he leaves the country, you'd be chasing him forever."
Austin will return to court Feb. 3 to have a date set for a preliminary hearing, officials said.