Yue Wang, College Admission Bribery, MA 2024

BOSTON – Four Chinese nationals are facing federal charges after a scheme to fraudulently obtain college admissions was exposed, authorities announced today. Yue Wang, 25, Shikun Zhang, 24, Leyi Huang, 21, and Xiaomeng Cheng, 21, all students in the U.S. on F-1 visas, were arrested and charged with conspiracies to defraud the United States.

The core of the operation involved Yue Wang, a student at Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Mass., allegedly taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam on behalf of Zhang, Huang, and Cheng. The TOEFL is a critical component of the college application process, accepted by over 9,000 institutions worldwide, and is also a key factor in the issuance of F-1 student visas by the U.S. government. This wasn’t just about getting into school; it was about circumventing the system.

Investigators say Wang sat for the exam, and the resulting scores were then used by the other three defendants to apply to, and gain admission to, U.S. universities. Shikun Zhang allegedly used the fraudulent score to enroll at Northeastern University in Boston; Leyi Huang at Penn State University in Erie, Pennsylvania; and Xiaomeng Cheng at Arizona State University. Each of these students then secured an F-1 visa based on their acceptance to these institutions, effectively exploiting a vulnerability in the nation’s immigration protocols.

“Illegal schemes to circumvent the TOEFL exam jeopardize both academic integrity and our country’s student visa program,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney William B. Weinreb. “The TOEFL exam ensures that international students have adequate English language skills to succeed in higher education programs in the United States. It also helps maintain the security of our borders and immigration system. By effectively purchasing passing scores, they violated the rules and regulations of the exam, taking spots at US colleges and universities that could have gone to others.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Matthew Etre added, “These schemes not only undermine the integrity of the academic institutions, they also undermine our nation’s immigration system.” HSI, alongside other federal partners and academic institutions, is committed to holding those involved in these scams accountable and protecting the integrity of the immigration process.

Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 if convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Furthermore, all four are subject to deportation following the completion of any imposed sentence. While maximum penalties are outlined, actual sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is leading the prosecution.