George Mariadas Kurusu, Wire Fraud Scheme, Texas 2016

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Ex-Fort Stockton Teacher Sentenced for Exploiting Indian Nationals

A former Fort Stockton Independent School District (FSISD) teacher has been sentenced to time served and ordered to pay restitution for a wire fraud scheme that targeted Indian nationals seeking teaching positions in the United States.

On January 19, 2017, George Mariadas Kurusu, a 58-year-old Indian national, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of fraud in foreign labor contracting, one count of tampering with a witness, victim or an informant, and one count of making a false statement on a visa application.

According to court records, Kurusu operated a business called Samaritan Educational Services, which he used to defraud several individuals out of more than $50,000 for a “visa package” that promised H1-B visas, teaching jobs, and the maintenance of those jobs and visas for his victims. Kurusu, a H1-B visa holder, lied on an application to renew his visa and inserted himself between the applicant and both the State Department, issuer of visas, and the FSISD.

Kurusu ordered the victims not to mention to the State Department that they enlisted the services of Samaritan and not to contact FSISD directly, but only through him. When the victims arrived in the United States, Kurusu had them set up a bank account and an Electronic Transfer of Funds (ETF) where 15% of their monthly paychecks, before taxes, were wired to Kurusu’s Samaritan business bank account.

Kurusu advised the victims that this was for consulting fees, then later for his “services” to make sure they had continuous employment and to maintain their visas. However, Kurusu had no control over either of these aspects. When the victims began questioning the arrangement, Kurusu warned them that if they did not pay, they would lose their jobs and their visas.

Kurusu was sentenced to time served (approximately 11 months) and ordered to pay $53,004.51 restitution to his victims. He was also ordered to forfeit $5,987.49 to the Government and serve three years of supervised release. Kurusu has been in federal custody since his arrest in May 2016.