Show School operator charged in visa student-visa fraud Sam Los Angeles Times The operator of two English- English language schools was charged Wednesday with running a scheme that allowed foreign nationals including several Russian prostitutes to fraudulently obtain student visas to enter and stay in inthe inthe inthe the United States Ben 50 SOt 50 a naturalized US U.S. citizen from ITom Iran was arrested without incident by federal agents in what investigators believe is the largest visa student-visa fraud scheme ever staged on the West Coast authorities said He was charged with seven counts of fraud and misuse of a visa one count count of conspiring to launder money and six counts of concealment for money laundering We welcome legitimate students vho who want to take advantage of educational opportunities in in America US U.S. Attorney Thomas Thomas' P. P aBrien OBrien O'Brien said We do not welcome so-called so stud students who have no intention of studying and who simply want to exploit t an unscrupulous business owner more interested in lining his pockets than following the law runs Conc Concord rd English Language Center and the International College for English Studies both in Beverly Hills Heis He Heis is suspected of helping ineligible foreign nationals fraudulently obtain student visas and keeping them enrolled in his schools even though they did not attend class classes eSt authorities said The so-called so F l visas allow foreigners to remain in the United States as long as they are studying full time at a federally approved school Both of schools received federal approval But investigators allege that dating back to 1999 t had been charging foreign nationals several thousand dollars to obtain student visas Then he allegedly told them that although they did not have to attend his schools they would be reported to fed federal ral authorities if they stopped paying tuition i iOn 1 f On one occasion I i allegedly charged a student non 00 a month to keep her s f enrollment current authorities said In another instance a Thai national told ICE agents that she had paid 2000 a year to obtain immigration status from International College even though she did not attend class I Applicants mentioned in the indictment came from Thailand I Uzbekistan I l LI Latvia and Indonesia I |