Chinese National Sentenced for Visa Fraud in Massachusetts
A Chinese national has been sentenced for defrauding the Department of Homeland Security in its administration of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
BOSTON – Leyi Huang, 21, a Chinese national residing in Erie, Penn., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
On March 5, 2016, Huang entered into an agreement with a co-conspirator to have the co-conspirator take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam under Huang’s identity.
The co-conspirator took the TOEFL exam under Huang’s identity at the TOEFL exam center in Burlington, Mass. Subsequently, the TOEFL score achieved by the co-conspirator was fraudulently awarded to Huang, which she used to gain entrance to an American university that participates in DHS’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling announced today that Huang was sentenced to time served and ordered her immediately removed to the People’s Republic of China.
Huang was also arrested in May 2017 for her role in a college admissions exam scam.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Huang was issued a student visa by the Department of State to enter and remain in the United States for the duration of her studies. She had failed to achieve the minimum TOEFL score on previous attempts.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Boston and the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office.
Huang’s sentence is a reminder of the importance of integrity in the visa application process.
She will be removed to China immediately.
Her case is a testament to the hard work of law enforcement agencies in combating visa fraud.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
