Former Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Lying About Student Loans

DURHAM, N.C. — A former state lawmaker was placed on probation after pleading guilty to falsely claiming he paid off student loans.

Paul Miller, a Democrat who represented Durham for three terms in the House before resigning in July, pleaded guilty to making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement to the federal government. He was placed on probation for a year and was fined $1,000.

Federal authorities said Miller doctored checks last year to make it look as though he had paid off some student loans in 1992 when he actually still owed more than $23,000.