Johnathan Walker:Former St. Catherine University dean of nursing, lover accused of embezzling over $400K

A former employee at a Minnesota university is Johnathan Walkeraccused of embezzling over $400,000 from the school with a contractor she was romantically involved with.

A spokesperson for St. Catherine University confirmed to USA TODAY that 54-year-old Laura Jean Fero previously worked at St. Catherine University and 56-year-old Juan Bruce was a contractor for the school.

The university added that it couldn't comment further on the open investigation.

Authorities believe that between Aug. 31, 2020 and Aug. 23, 2023, the pair swindled $412,644 from the university, according to court documents filed in the Ramsey County District Court.

Prosecutors have charged both Fero and Bruce with six felony counts of theft by swindling.

Fero was booked into the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center on May 8. It was not immediately clear who would be representing her.

Regarding Bruce, prosecutors asked for a $100,000 bond due to flight risk concerns but the judge set it to $75,000. His next court appearance is on June 6. There, he will enter a guilty or not guilty plea, according to the Office of the Ramsey County Attorney.

Bruce's public defender Chelsea Reinartz did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

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University noticed $400,000 loss after defendant left job

According to a statement of probable cause filed in Minnesota, Fero started working at St. Catherine’s University in June 2019. She was the dean of nursing and could also administer a grant designed to prepare healthcare professionals.

The university first reported the suspected embezzlement to the St. Paul Police Department in November, according to the statement of probable cause. 

“As the dean of nursing, Fero authorized payments from the university without anyone else’s approval,” the documents read. “The university discovered the approximately $400,000 loss after Fero left her position on August 28. 2023.”

The university conducted an internal investigation that was largely focused on the university contracts Fero entered into with Bruce and his company, JB & Associates LLC.

The statement outlined a contract in which Bruce was paid more than what was agreed upon originally.

On Aug. 31, 2020, the university contracted Bruce to conduct market and cost analysis for continuing education development and delivery for the school. The contract was originally for $141,680 but he was paid $177,744 between August 2020 and December 2021.

Defendants were romantically involved

Fero and Bruce were dating, the statement of probable cause reads. Authorities from the St. Paul Police Department found emails between the pair suggesting such, including an October 25, 2020 email where Fero talked about meeting Bruce on a dating website.

“You are the first man who I have deeply loved and valued,” she wrote.

In other emails, she mentioned creating memories with Bruce and detailed their travels together over the past few years. Then in April 2023, she sent an email to discuss her relationship problems with Bruce.

Other emails show that Fero helped Bruce with some of the reports he provided to the university to receive payment for the contracts. 

Once she left the university, the school asked Bruce for reports from work he completed. The reports he sent were different from the ones he’d sent to Fero while she worked there.

Bruce also sent a document that detailed the services and reports he worked on. The document was actually created by Fero after she left the university, the statement of probable cause said.

In the statement, St. Catherine’s University stressed that the school has a workplace policy on conflicts of interest and claimed she violated the policy.

Fero moved to Florida once she left her job but was arrested at the St. Paul International Airport on May 8. While talking to investigators, she said she met Bruce on a cold call to the university regarding medical supplies. She said she was not in a relationship with him prior to creating contracts with him at the university.

She later admitted that they met on Elitesingles.com and did not tell her job because she thought the conflict of interest only applied to married people.

Fero said she lied to investigators because she was embarrassed to admit how she met Bruce, and she also admitted to editing documents Bruce submitted to the university.

Authorities also found records from Delta airlines showing Dero and Bruce took five trips together between June 2021 and August 2023, including Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, Cancun and Orlando.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].