Keenam ‘Kason’ Park, 59, of Weston, Massachusetts, has admitted to running a brazen $5 million wire fraud scheme that preyed on international students and private high schools across the Northeast. Park pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in federal court, admitting he funneled tuition payments meant for schools into his own pockets while leaving families and institutions in financial ruin.
The scheme centered on EduBoston, a student recruitment agency Park controlled. Between 2018 and 2019, Park directed the company to collect full tuition and fees from families of international students enrolling for the 2019-2020 academic year. Instead of passing those funds to partner schools, Park diverted the money to cover personal and unrelated business expenses—effectively stealing millions meant for education.
Park didn’t stop there. He also collected advance payments for the 2020-2021 school year, taking money from families under false pretenses after EduBoston had already collapsed around September 2019. When the operation imploded, students were left stranded—some already in the U.S. without school placements—while partnering schools were stiffed on over $5,192,330 in unpaid tuition.
Under the plea agreement, federal prosecutors will recommend a 51-month prison sentence, two years of supervised release, and full restitution and forfeiture totaling at least $5,192,330. The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, or double the financial loss—whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for November 2, 2020, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf.
U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta announced the plea today, underscoring the federal crackdown on financial predators exploiting education systems. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of the Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit, who called the fraud ‘a betrayal of trust on a massive scale.’
The fallout from Park’s deception stretches across borders, affecting students from Asia and beyond who came to the U.S. expecting a quality education—only to find themselves abandoned and out hundreds of thousands of dollars. As the court prepares to impose a sentence, victims are left wondering how oversight failed so catastrophically in an industry meant to guide young lives forward.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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