South Florida

Dade Medical College Owner Ernesto Perez Begins Serving House Arrest Sentence

The former owner of Dade Medical College turned himself in Tuesday to begin serving his house arrest sentence after he pleaded guilty to charges of illegal campaign contributions.

Ernesto Perez was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor to serve his 60-day house arrest sentence as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. He will also serve three years of probation and pay a $150,000 fine.

Perez was facing up to six years in prison had he not taken the plea deal.

The now-defunct Dade Medical College had 2,000 students, 400 employees and several campus locations throughout South Florida. The school had been under scrutiny over its finances and the poor performance of its students on certification exams when it abruptly closed in October.

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