( CNN ) -- The sole set of criminal charges to come from the fake classes scandal at the University of North Carolina might soon be dropped . Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall told CNN that he 's thinking about withdrawing fraud charges against ex-UNC professor Julius Nyang'oro . Nyang'oro was indicted in December after a grand jury found he was paid to teach so-called paper classes , which did n't require students to attend but instead just write a single paper . The scandal has drawn national attention since the NCAA has declined to punish the university , even though many of the classes were attended by athletes . Whistleblower and former reading specialist Mary Willingham , along with former athletes , have also publicly said there was systematic cheating in the classes and that the Athletic Department used the paper classes to keep athletes eligible when they would have otherwise failed . But UNC has continuously denied that any administrators , except for Nyang'oro and his assistant , were aware of what was happening . Woodall said his decision was based on great cooperation from Nyang'oro in the criminal investigation and the latest UNC-commissioned inquiry , this one being conducted by former Homeland Security adviser Ken Wainstein . Woodall said he thinks it is better for the community to have Nyang'oro 's cooperation -- to understand why , how and when the paper classes began and who had knowledge of them -- than to have a criminal prosecution move forward . In either case , Woodall said , Nyang'oro is likely eligible for a diversionary program that would eventually lead to the charges being dismissed . `` Even though it 's a noncriminal investigation , that is more important than this , '' Woodall said , referring to Wainstein 's review . `` The money is paid back already , '' Woodall said . `` This was more of an academic scandal than any kind of criminal issue . ... In the criminal probe , what we 're left with is one low-level nonviolent felony for a person never in trouble before in his life . '' That said , nothing has been decided . Woodall is simply considering it . Neither Nyang'oro or his attorney responded to CNN 's requests for comment . Last week , during a UNC board meeting , Wainstein gave an update , and referenced the cooperation from both Nyang'oro and his assistant , Debbie Crowder . Woodall announced he declined to charge Crowder when she began cooperating . Wainstein told the board that his team had been briefed by the criminal investigators and that Crowder and Nyang'oro were interviewed , `` thanks in large part to the efforts and assistance of Orange County District Attorney James Woodall Jr. '' Wainstein also said that his team has collected and searched 1.5 million e-mails and documents from more than 30 people , including faculty , athletic administrators at UNC . They are also analyzing student transcripts going back to the 1980s and have gotten `` extremely valuable '' information from people who have reached out . Woodall said he believes Nyang'oro 's cooperation is imperative . `` It may be impossible to get to the bottom because this was going on for years and years , but the only opportunity to get a full picture -- they had to interview Julius Nyang'oro , and he was willing to do that . '' Willingham said that there are several administrators in academics and athletics who openly talked about the paper classes and about putting athletes into the classes when they needed a boost to their grade point average .
District Attorney John Woodall said he 's thinking about filing fraud charges . Former University of North Carolina professor Julius Nyang'oro is key figure in case . Woodall said his most important aim is the full disclosure of Nyang'oro . Whistleblowers say the Justice Department uses these classes to keep athletes eligible .