ST PAUL, Minn. — The boyfriend of a former dean of nursing at St. Catherine University was acquitted of theft charges Monday, alleging he worked with his partner to scam the school out of hundreds of thousands of dollars over three years.
According to court documents, Juan Bruce, of Shakopee, was found not guilty on all six theft by swindle charges he collected as part of the alleged embezzlement scheme. The original criminal complaint against Bruce accused him and former Dean of Nursing Laura Fero of misappropriating the school's funds through a fake marketing company Bruce claimed to run.
As part of Fero's position budgeting and administering the school's GHR Legacy Grant, the complaint alleged she and Bruce successfully scammed the school out of more than $400,000.
"Fero engaged in transferring significant funds to Bruce over multiple years while Bruce provided little or no services to the university," the 2023 complaint read.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse reported in May 2024 that during the period of alleged misconduct, Bruce and Fero went on several vacations together, where Fero was accused of using her St. Kate's credit card to pay for airfare, rental cars and hotels.
While Fero left St. Kate's in August of 2023 to take a similar job at AdventHealth University in Orlando, Florida, prosecutors alleged she continued to help Bruce by authoring a document the school asked him for, explaining the services he claimed to be providing.
The complaint said Fero concealed the contracts with Bruce by "abusing Fero's position of trust and authority."
Fero's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 13 at 9 a.m.
