In Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, police arrested Belinda Gail Fondren, 52, for forging doctor's notes that she sold to students skipping school. The notes were $20/each and she reportedly sold 14 of them before getting nabbed. She had been signing the name of a physician who previously employed her. Fondren was caught after the Vernon Parish School Board called the physician's office to look into the sudden increase in excuse notes from his office. It's surprising that the students would waste money on something they could easily make themselves given the endless free templates available online! From Yahoo! News:
Fondren was arrested on October 23 and charged with filing or maintaining false public records, according to the Bastrop Enterprise. The Vernon Parish School Board did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment and it's unclear whether or not the students who bought the fake notes will be punished.
If convicted, Fondren could face up to five years in prison.