MIAMI -- The state attorney's office said Monday that some South Florida teachers used sham classes to maintain teaching certification and to teach additional courses -- and many earned higher salaries for course work that was not legitimate.

In connection with the investigation, a Miami-Dade County grand jury returned indictments against James Majors and William McCoggle, two public school teachers, charging them in the scam that investigators say cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Investigators said that long-time teacher at Palmetto Senior High, McCoggle, partnered with Eastern Oklahoma State College to provide classes for fellow teachers. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said that Majors claimed to have a master's degree and a doctoral degree that were both fraudulent.

Investigators said the courses that were arranged with EOSC were shams and often did not involve class time. The transcripts of the course work were so vague that teachers were able to use non-credited course work to maintain and receive certification because it appeared legitimate, according to investigators. Some teachers also used the credits for new subject area certification -- including some driver's education teachers. Fernandez Rundle said others were paid higher salaries because of the course work.

The report said that 190 teachers took the courses that were taken at three local schools.

According to investigators, teachers in Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe and particularly Miami-Dade counties used the illegitimate program.

Fernandez Rundle said in looking at just four of the teachers who were paid more for the bogus course work, it cost tax payers $345,000. Depending on how many teachers were overpaid due to the sham courses, the total cost to taxpayers for the higher salaries could be millions.

Miami-Dade Public School officials have not yet commented on the arrest.

Majors and McCoggle both bonded out of jail.