Two high-profile University of Minnesota professors have been indicted in Georgia for conspiring to draw salaries from two schools at once.

Francois Sainfort and his wife, Julie Jacko, face felony charges of conspiracy, theft and false statements. If convicted, Sainfort faces 14 counts, a fine of up to $1.04 million and up to 165 years in prison. Jacko faces 11 felony counts and slightly lesser penalties.

The husband-wife duo — who specialize in making sense of huge volumes of health data — first drew attention in 2008, when officials from the University of Minnesota and Georgia Tech questioned why they received paychecks from both.

The indictment charges them with lying about their dual employment and fraudulently billing Georgia Tech for travel expenses.

Attorneys for the professors said the pair are innocent and were open with both universities about their employment.

"I regret that Georgia Tech has chosen to elevate this matter to a criminal forum," said Buddy Parker, attorney for Sainfort.

Robert Rubin, an attorney for Jacko, said: "Anybody who knows Dr. Jacko knows what a fine person she is. These charges are an anathema to who she is."

Also charged for conspiracy is Robert Jacko, Julie Jacko's brother. The indictment alleges that, in applying to be a consultant for the Georgia Tech Health Systems Institute, he failed to disclose that his brother-in-law ran the institute.

He allegedly used fake addresses to help hide that fact.