Tri-Valley University Update: TVU President Indicted

We have written in the past about the Tri-Valley University and how it affected a high number of F-1 international students by engaging in alleged unlawful practices and immigration fraud.    The Tri-Valley University story is worth following because it highlights, from the perspective of the foreign students and nationals, the importance of maintaining good immigration compliance and records, not only with respect to F-1.

As a result, we continue to provide updates on the Tri-Valley University story.

Tri-Valley University President Indicted

A federal grand jury has indicted earlier this week the President of Tri-Valley University, Susan Xiao-Ping Su.     To be clear, an indictment is simply a charge by the government and until proven guilty, Ms. Su is presumed innocent.

She is accused of engaging in a two-year scheme to defraud the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by submitting phony documents in support of Tri-Valley University’s applications to admit foreign nationals on student visas. The indictment further alleges that after obtaining such approvals, Su fraudulently issued visa-related documents to student aliens in exchange for “tuition and fees.”

The indictment alleges that in carrying out the scheme, Su is accused of making multiple false representations to DHS through Tri-Valley University’s use of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which the U.S. government uses to monitor the “F-1″ student visa program. Through her false representations, Su was able to unlawfully obtain and issue F-1 visa-related documents without regard to the students’ academic qualifications or intent to pursue a course of study required to maintain a lawful immigration status.

According to the indictment, Su admitted and maintained foreign students in exchange for tuition and other payments. In furtherance of the F-1 visa scheme, Su also allegedly harbored multiple Tri-Valley University student-employees to assist her in making the false representations to SEVIS. The indictment further alleges the defendant engaged in multiple money laundering transactions totaling more than $3.2 million using proceeds she derived from the visa fraud scheme.

The 33 counts contained in the indictment carry maximum penalties ranging from one to 20 years imprisonment. The charges include wire fraud; mail fraud; visa fraud and conspiracy to commit visa fraud; use of a false document; making false statements to a government agency; alien harboring; unauthorized access to a government computer and money laundering.