Pair accused in visa fraud, college admissions scheme
Associated PressLOS ANGELES — The second of two defendants accused of using bogus transcripts and ghostwritten essays to help foreigners gain admission to U.S. colleges, allowing the applicants to fraudulently obtain student visas, has surrendered to federal authorities, prosecutors said. Yi Chen, 33, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges in a 21-count grand jury indictment that alleges conspiracy, visa fraud and aggravated identity theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. The indictment alleges that Chen and Li owned so-called educational consulting companies in the southern California cities of Alhambra and Arcadia that charged foreign students thousands of dollars for “guaranteed” admission to a college that would lead to the issuance of an F-1 student visa. The indictment lists a number of foreign nationals for whom Chen and Li allegedly obtained transcripts, which helped the students gain admission to schools including New York University, Columbia University, Boston College, and several University of California campuses.
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