A Circleville real estate course provider pled guilty today to three counts of knowingly providing false documentation to the Superintendent of Real Estate. John McKenzie made his plea before Judge Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr. in Franklin County Municipal Court. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 12.

On June 18, Superintendent of Real Estate Ronald J. Rotaru filed complaints against McKenzie with Columbus City Prosecutor Rob Levering in Franklin County Municipal Court. Those complaints led to McKenzie being charged with providing fraudulent documents certifying that real estate licensees had successfully completed 30 hours of continuing education coursework.

“The Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Real Estate is charged with protecting the public in real estate transactions," Superintendent Rotaru said. "We are going to continue to enforce the real estate statutes and ensure that everyone is treated equally."

McKenzie is the owner of Ohio Real Estate Academy in Circleville and is a real estate salesperson with Scioto Valley Realty, Inc. in Circleville. He has been offering real estate education courses since the early 1980's. In addition to the criminal proceedings, the Division of Real Estate is investigating McKenzie for possible real estate license law violations.

During an investigation by the Division, it was discovered that McKenzie offered documentation certifying coursework completion without requiring the licensee to attend the scheduled hours of the courses. State law requires that the course provider certify that the licensee attend at least 90% of the curriculum hours. A Division investigator stopped in to audit the classes and repeatedly did not find the instructor or the attendees at the scheduled courses.

To maintain a real estate license, licensees are required to submit proof to the Division indicating that they have completed 30 hours of continuing education coursework during their most recent three-year period.

The real estate licensees who enrolled in McKenzie's courses will not be credited with their completion, Superintendent Rotaru said.

Two years ago, similar charges were filed against Edward C. Guilfoyle, a real estate course provider in Cincinnati. Guilfoyle pled no contest and was found guilty of three counts of making false statements to a public official.

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