Hairy deal: Albuquerque beauty school caught faking student transcripts

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Edwin Abeyta and his business partner, Estevan Apodaca, are under a lot of scrutiny. Together they run the Elán Academy, an accredited beauty school in Albuquerque.

A KRQE News 13 investigation found that Elán Academy is at the heart of a licensing scandal involving fabricated documents.

“The documents that you have shown me that I’ve looked at certainly are highly suspect as to their legitimacy,” New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Superintendent, Mike Unthank said.

Unthank says there is a high probability that individuals have received state licenses based on fabricated documents.

“I am not happy with what I am seeing at all,” Unthank said. “It looks like there has been some abuse and we want to get to the bottom of that.”

Elán graduate Ashley Jordan’s New Mexico cosmetologist license was issued two years ago. However, nobody with the New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists noticed Jordan completed her yearlong education in less than a month.

According to Elán documents, Jordan earned 1,600 credit hours in 28 days.

Susan Trujillo also got a cosmetology license after graduating from Elán Academy. She completed one year of training in 27 days.

Kathy Ortiz, the deputy director for boards and commissions, said it is not possible to complete 1,600 hours in one month.

KRQE News 13’s investigation found Elán Academy doctored educational credentials for at least 16 students.

When asked if the transcripts appeared to be fabricated Ortiz said, “yes.”

Cosmetology is a profession requiring training, a proficiency test and a license.

Beauty school training includes courses in hair styling, manicuring, use of chemicals and disease prevention. In order to be licensed, cosmetology students must complete 1,600 credit hours at an accredited school.

The cost of the education is not cheap. Private beauty schools charge about $20,000 for the yearlong training.

Breakdown: Credit Hours, Cost (story continues below)

Even though Elán Academy supplied some of its graduates bogus transcripts, state regulators ignored obvious discrepancies and issued licenses anyway.

The state cosmetology board issued so many questionable licenses that it has now ordered a review of all Elán graduates going back four years.

When KRQE News 13 asked Unthank if there is a group of individuals that are improperly licensed he replied, “It would appear so, yes.”

Elán graduate Jerica Narr’s official transcript indicates she earned 1,600 credit hours in 20 days. The state cosmetology board issued her a license anyway.

KRQE News 13’s investigation found that Narr spent a year at the Urban Academy, now called Toni and Guy. When she dropped out leaving more than $3000 in unpaid bills, Toni and Guy refused to give her a transcript.

Narr received a fabricated transcript from Elán. Now, she is no longer licensed by the state.

Christopher Tsosie dropped out of an Albuquerque beauty school owing almost $7,000 in unpaid tuition. He ended up at Elán where his transcript was falsified.

Even though Tsosie’s cosmetologist license expired last year, he continues to style hair at an Albuquerque salon.

Andrew Jones, Victoria C DeVaca, Jazalyn Urbano, Carly Sheffer all got licenses based on false Elán transcripts.

In regards to the phony transcripts, Apodaca says it isn’t true. His co-owner, Abeyta, also says that Elán Academy is not fabricating transcripts.

“No, absolutely not…absolutely not,” Abeyta said. “In what way are they not accurate? Who started this, who initiated your little… I’m going to ask you to leave. I don’t want to talk to you.”

After KRQE News 13’s two month investigation, the state cosmetology board is now asking the Bernalillo county D.A. to look into criminal charges. Last week, the board issued an immediate cease and desist order stopping Elán from enrolling any new students pending further action of the board.