COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - A Columbus teacher is scheduled to be in federal court in Memphis, Tenn., on Oct. 3 to answer charges she participating in a scheme in which teacher candidates would hire others to take certification tests.

WCBI-TV reports (http://bit.ly/Qfcixl) that 34-yeard-old Darcel Gardner, a special education teacher at Columbus High School, was placed on administrative leave Thursday by the school board.

Federal court records show she is free $5,000 bond on charges of mail fraud and aiding and abetting. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Federal prosecutors in Memphis say the scheme involved teacher certification tests in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.

The scheme was first uncovered in 2010 and prosecutors say it involves more than 50 teachers and test-takers.

Information from: WCBI-TV, http://www.wcbi.com

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