If you hadn’t had enough yet of Chinese efforts to destroy America, here is one more way for them to do it using our lax student visa program.
And, get this: This isn’t about their students using our colleges as a springboard for the advancement of China, they are sending students from K-12 here!
Thanks to reader ‘Meanymom’ for spotting this story last week at the Center for Immigration Studies(a story surely lost between Chinese Virus crisis stories and the media obsession with orchestrated mayhem going on in major American cities).
I’ve written a lot about the Chinese buying up food processing plants, but schools!
Chinese Investors Bought K-12 Private Schools in the United States
Helpful bullet points!
~In December 2017, two different Chinese investment firms bought primary schools and at least one secondary school in the United States.
~Foreign nationals can obtain F-1 visas to attend U.S. schools beginning in kindergarten and running through graduate and post-graduate education.
~In 2018, 39,904 Chinese F-1 students were attending secondary schools in the United States.
~The strong demand among Chinese nationals for a U.S. secondary education reportedly comes from their families’ belief that attending an American high school will increase the likelihood that those students will be subsequently accepted to U.S. colleges and universities.
An almost two-and-a half year-old article in China Daily detailed an interesting phenomenon: Chinese investors purchasing private K-12 schools in the United States “in the hopes of cashing in on Chinese students’ quest for admission into a US college.” That report not only highlights an interesting pathway for foreign students to obtain a student visa to attend U.S. colleges and universities, but it also shines a light on the F-1 nonimmigrant student visa program at the primary and secondary level.
The article explained that in December 2017, “Primavera Capital, a China-based private equity firm, paid about $500 million for the Stratford School system, which operates schools throughout California.” That same month, Newopen Group, a “Chinese education company”, bought Florida Preparatory Academy for an undisclosed amount.
Although we generally think of F-1 student visas in the context of colleges and universities, those visas are also available for foreign nationals to study in the United States at a private K-12 school, or a public high school, as well.
Study at a public high school is limited to 12 months for an F-1, and the foreign student must reimburse the costs of tuition (dependents of F-1s, known as “F-2s”, can study wherever they like, including public school), but there is no limit on the amount of time that a foreign student can attend a private K-12 school.
The first step to obtaining that visa is acceptance by a school approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP, which is administered by ICE), followed by that school’s issuance of a Form I-20 and the filing of an application by the student at a U.S. embassy or consulate for an F-1 visa.
The list of SEVP certified schoolsruns 272 pages, and includes the middle schools run by Stratford Schools in Sunnyvale, San Jose, and Fremont, as well as Florida Preparatory Academy. Tuition at the three Stratford schools runs $23,510 per year, and there is no boarding option, raising the question of where F-1 middle school students live.
I can shed some light on this as a few years ago a private school near me was trying to stay afloat by bringing in Korean middle school students and the school asked me if I would be willing to board a student. So clearly they tap into a local network of families they see as welcoming.
There are, by my count, at least 200 elementary schools on the list (the level of education offered for many is not entirely clear, and I am basing my count on the number identified as “elementary”) and at least 75 middle schools (again, they are not all identified as such, and there are likely many more).
I’ve posted this news in my ‘Student Visa Fraud’ category, but it isn’t really fraud when our federal government has set up these sweet deals for foreign students and countries that hate us!
Endnote: I don’t know about you, but in our household we are increasingly vigilant while shopping and steering clear of anything made in China. Needless to say, it is a challenging project!
I promise this isn’t a blog just for Nigerian scammers we ‘welcomed’ to America even if it seems that way sometimes!
Maybe we have a special visa I didn’t know about to attract the best and brightest scammers in the world to ply their trade while living among us!
First thing I did after seeing the news from the US Justice Departmentabout Nigerian national Olufolajimi Abegunde getting a six year sentence in the slammer (the taxpayers must now pay for!) was to see if there was a picture this time.
Well, what do you know there is!
Abegunde received an MBA from Texas A&M which gives us a clue that he came to the US on a student visa.
You will see below that he committed marriage fraud to stay—a common pathway for ‘new American’ wannabees.
The photo at right has been used widely around the world (not much US media coverage of his case), but Nigerian writers are promoting the propaganda that Abegunde was being racially profiled by the feds in Tennessee.
In January of this year, according to an African blogger, Abegunde is innocent and he was scapegoated by racist feds operating in racist Memphis, Tennessee:
Other updates to the saga also shows that a local judge in Memphis TN area, the city where he is being held, confirmed that Federal authorities around TN area act and prosecute based on racial bias.
Judge Fowlkes of Memphis TN confirmed this while trying a gun charge case.The case involved a white man who records say sold an undercover officer 100 ecstasy pills for $800, while his black partner stayed in the car with a gun.
Fowlkes asked why the white defendant wasn’t slapped with the same gun charge as the black defendant since they worked together. The gun charge carres an automatic 5 year sentence just for the black person.
The above case shows that Olufolajimi’s claims of racial mistreatment is valid and should be taken into account. His family wishes to draw the attention of current Presidential aspirants and other concerned Nigerians to look into this matter as Nigeria cannot continue to fold it’s arms while it’s citizens are mistreated on the basis of skin color.
Now have a look at the US Justice Department case against the pure-as-the-driven-snow Abegunde:
Nigerian Citizen Sentenced for Role in International Cyber-Fraud Scheme
Memphis, TN – A citizen of Nigeria residing in Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison yesterday for his role in an international cyber fraud scheme….
[….]
Abegunde and Ramos-Alonso participated in a criminal organization in which members “spoofed” emails and created fake profiles on dating websites in order to fool victims into sending money to bogus bank accounts under the control of members of the conspiracy. The proceeds would be laundered and subsequently wired out of the United States to destinations including West Africa.
The organization as a whole is believed to have caused more than $10,000,000 in damage to United States citizens and businesses.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Frauds perpetrated through the Internet cause significant financial harm to businesses and individuals in our District and throughout the United States. Because those committing Internet fraud involve foreign nationals and others who hide behind technology, the cases are difficult – but not impossible – to investigate. We will continue to deploy our resources to take on these difficult cases, and we are pleased to achieve justice for the victims in this case.”
Read the details about how the crooks set up their cyber crimes, but below we see how Abegunde used marriage fraud to stay in the US once he finished ‘studying’ at Texas A & M. You can’t make this up!
The Justice Department continues…
In addition to his financial activities, Abegunde also engaged in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Abegunde was married during his studies at Texas A&M, but divorced his wife in 2016 to marry a U.S. service member through whom he could obtain immigration and health care benefits and also open new bank accounts.
He continued to live with his first wife in Atlanta while his U.S. service member wife was deployed to South Korea.
While incarcerated and awaiting trial in the Western District of Tennessee, Abegunde continued his conspiratorial activities, trying to convince his fake spouse, who has since filed for divorce, to refuse to testify against him.
Abegunde is contesting the divorce from his fake spouse.
Abegunde also engaged in witness tampering by sending a self-written Motion to Dismiss bearing his former attorney’s name and professional attestation. The evidence at trial established that Abegunde drafted and sent the motion, which his attorney expressly did not authorize, to his faux spouse in an effort to deceive her into not testifying against him.
You wouldn’t know it if you just watch cable news and read your local paper, but there are many, many fraud schemes (perpetrated by foreign nationals) busted every day by the Trump Administration. The President should be bragging about the crooks and criminals he is getting off the streets.
At each rally he should showcase some of the best cases his Justice Department has prosecuted.
Twenty-six year-old Kelly Itive was arrested in January in Cobb County, Georgia for stealing $78,000 from two El Paso County (CO) women!
He was in the US on a STUDENT VISA. The story was sent to me by reader Rachel who penned this in an attached note: “Deport Him Now!”
You might want to see my February story about Nigerian so-called “romance” scams here.
Apparently they are skilled actors who pose as white men on-line. Continue reading “Colorado: Nigerian Romance Scammer Arrested in Georgia”→
Diversity is beautiful alert!
This story is from December, but I’m writing about it for several reasons (thanks to reader Anne Marie for sending it).
First I see that the story never made it to any news outside the state of Ohio. Why is that? I have a good guess!
But, more interesting to me is that the story says he is scheduled for trial this month (February), but I can’t find another word about the case. Mohammed Al-Mashrafi
If someone has a few minutes to dig, help me find out if Mohammed Al-Mashrafi is scheduled for trial this month, was the case postponed, or did he post bail and skip the country?
An Ohio University student was indicted on nine charges, including rape, kidnapping, gross sexual imposition and menacing by stalking.
Mohammed Al-Mashrafi was arrested earlier this month by Athens police.
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said Al-Mashrafi is accused of stalking multiple women in and around Athens, including by social media, our partners, CBS affiliate WBNS-TV in Columbus reported.
“Al-Mashrafi is further accused of vising (sic) a local spa where he was observed fondling himself and, upon being asked to leave, refused to pay for his services and ultimately left without paying. On Dec. 5, 2018, Al-Mashrafi’s behavior escalated and he is alleged to have held a female against her will and forcing himself on her sexually,” Blackburn said.
[….] Blackburn said Al-Mashrafi, who had a bond set at $5 million, is in the United States on a student visa from Oman. A trial date is scheduled for February.
Search Mohammed Al-Mashrafi and see that stories about his indictment were pretty widespread in Ohio at the time.
Gee, I wonder if this guy will be in that diversity-is-beautiful propaganda film being made in Ohio, the one that inspired me to write this blog!
This story should warm your heart—we are nabbing at least some of the cheaters!
This time it was by setting a trap for them with the creation of a fake university with all the trappings of a real college. The feds fake University of Farmington was located in this building says the Detroit News
Thanks to theDetroit News for another juicy story.
Feds used fake Michigan university in immigration sting
Federal agents used a fake university in Farmington Hills to lure alleged phony foreign students who were trying to stay in the United States illegally.
The University of Farmington had no staff, no instructors, no curriculum and no classes but was utilized by undercover Homeland Security agents to identify people involved in immigration fraud, according to federal grand jury indictments unsealed Wednesday.
Eight student recruiters were charged with participating in a conspiracy to help at least 600 foreign citizens stay in the U.S. illegally, according to the indictments, which describe a novel investigation that dates to 2015 but intensified one month into President Donald Trump’s tenure as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. Simultaneously Wednesday, federal agents arrested dozens of University of Farmington students in a nationwide sweep. The students were arrested on immigration violations and face possible deportation, according to a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most of the recruiters and students involved are originally from India, according to prosecutors.
“It’s creative and it’s not entrapment,” said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor and former federal prosecutor. “The government can put out the bait, but it’s up to the defendants to fall for it.”
Those charged include:
• Bharath Kakireddy, 29, of Lake Mary, Florida.
• Aswanth Nune, 26, of Atlanta.
• Suresh Reddy Kandala, 31, of Culpeper, Virginia.
• Phanideep Karnati, 35, of Louisville, Kentucky.
• Prem Kumar Rampeesa, 26, of Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Santosh Reddy Sama, 28, of Fremont, California.
• Avinash Thakkallapally, 28, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• Naveen Prathipati, 29, of Dallas.
[….] “… the university was being used by foreign citizens as a ‘pay to stay’ schemewhich allowed these individuals to stay in the United States as a result of of foreign citizens falsely asserting that they were enrolled as full-time students in an approved educational program and that they were making normal progress toward completion of the course of study,” the indictment reads.
More here. Please go read it and send traffic to the story because the reporter, Robert Snell, has been doing great work on fraud cases.
Are you thinking about this? As we focus virtually all mainstream media coverage on the crisis at our southern border (yes, it is important), the national media is keeping us in the dark about some huge stories involving illegal immigrants (and legal ones !) who are ripping us off through fraud and other criminal activity that we must suffer and pay for.
An almost two-and-a half year-old article in China Daily detailed an interesting phenomenon: Chinese investors purchasing private K-12 schools in the United States “in the hopes of cashing in on Chinese students’ quest for admission into a US college.” That report not only highlights an interesting pathway for foreign students to obtain a student visa to attend U.S. colleges and universities, but it also shines a light on the F-1 nonimmigrant student visa program at the primary and secondary level.
First thing I did after seeing the news from the US Justice Department about Nigerian national Olufolajimi Abegunde getting a six year sentence in the slammer (the taxpayers must now pay for!) was to see if there was a picture this time.
Memphis, TN – A citizen of Nigeria residing in Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison yesterday for his role in an international cyber fraud scheme….
Where is Mohammed now? Help me find out!