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Wisconsin fraudster back in business

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A former Wisconsin inmate who was convicted of fraud for persuading a family to pay for non-existent college courses has set himself up in the education business again, but under a new name.

Kenneth Shong, as he’s known to the Department of Corrections, is promoting himself online as a global educational consultant with several graduate degrees, the Journal Sentinel reported. His resume says he served as associate dean for the University of Indianapolis School of Business. The college has no payroll records for him.

Shong was released from prison earlier this year and is subject to three years of supervision.

“Mr. Shong is currently under investigation for potentially violating his rules of supervision. Due to the ongoing nature of our investigation, we cannot comment further,” Corrections spokeswoman Clare Hendricks said.

Hendricks said the DOC would welcome information from anyone about Shong’s activities that might assist the investigation.

Shong, 53, has served time for a variety of fraud convictions, including forgery and mortgage fraud. According to court records, he was behind bars for one of those crimes when he persuaded another inmate to have his mother send $1,700 to an address in Alabama to enroll him in “Carlingford University.”

Shong was charged in 2012 with fraudulent writings, as a habitual offender, found guilty at trial and sentenced to seven years, plus three more on extended supervision.

Shong told a Journal Sentinel reporter in 2005 that he was born in Greece in 1960, came to Minnesota for college and moved to Madison in the 1980s.

But Wisconsin court records show he was born in Lansing, Michigan, in 1966 with the given name of Kenneth Scott McDonald. He cited that name, place and date of birth in his recent petition to change his name to Kenneth Onapolis.

He lists himself as ìProf. Onapolisî in his online profile.

He did not return messages from the Journal Sentinel to his business email or the phone number listed for Onapolis Group.

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