California Woman Sentenced To 16 Years In Fake University Scam
A California woman, who is accused of running a fake university, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Susan Xiao-Ping Su reportedly founded and ran Tri-Valley University as a front for an immigration scam. Authorities said Su, 44, made more over $5.6 million in profits while running the phony school.
According to federal law, international students are permitted to apply for a student visa — which allows them to live and work in the United States while attending an accredited university.
Tri-Valley University was billed as a “Christian higher education institution,” which offered degrees in business, engineering, and ministry. Although students were offered distance learning “classes,” investigators discovered that a majority of the classes did not exist.
As reported by Yahoo! News, former employees testified that the fake university had no admission or graduation requirements. Instead, necessary documentation was fabricated. Investigators also discovered that a majority of the students received passing grades, despite the fact that they did not attend class.
Homeland Security Special agent Mitchell Rose said “most of the students appeared to know they were taking part in a fraudulent scheme.” Essentially, the “students” agreed to pay Susan Su nearly $6,000 per year for a student visa.
Homeland Security Special Agent In Charge, Tatum King, said the student visa program was designed to provide legitimate students with a solid education. Unfortunately, Susan Su exploited the program to turn a profit.
“Student visas are intended to give people from around the world a chance to come to this country to enrich themselves with the vast learning opportunities available here… in this case, the defendant was interested in a different kind of enrichment, her own.”
As reported by SF Gate, Tri-Valley University was raided and subsequently shut down in 2011. Although a majority of the fake university students either left voluntarily or were deported, Susan Xiao-Ping Su was forced to face multiple criminal charges, including visa fraud.
In March, Su was convicted of numerous charges, including providing false documents and making false statements to a government agency. Eight months later, Su was sentenced to 198 months in prison. She was further ordered to surrender the $5.6 million in profits and pay $900,000 in damages.
Following the sentencing, Susan Su’s attorney, John Jordan, confirmed he already filed a notice of appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Although authorities have shut down Tri-Valley University, they are concerned that several other fake universities continue to exist and operate in the United states.
