Former BYU-Idaho student sentenced after changing own transcript

A former Brigham Young University-Idaho student who altered his grades so he could get $7,000 in scholarships was sentenced Tuesday.

Madison County Deputy Prosecutor Rob Wood said Jacob Mahonri Espinal was sentenced Monday by Judge Greg Moeller to two to four years for computer crime and two to five years on grand theft.

He was ordered to spend 180 days in jail. He has already served 151. As a condition of probation, he will be released in 29 days and returned to Honduras, which has an immigration hold on him.

Espinal, a student employee who had access to BYU-Idaho’s transcripts system, was taken into custody in November.