|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The investigation into an illegal school in Pleasanton may lead to sweeping changes and closer looks at schools that bring immigrants into the country.
Susan Xiao-Ping Su, the founder and president of Tri-Valley University, was charged in 2011 with setting up a bogus college, and bringing students and their spouses to Pleasanton on illegal visas. Su faces a multi-count federal indictment on charges of money laundering, mail fraud and wire fraud.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is currently being audited by the Government Accountability Office as a follow-up to the investigation into Tri-Valley University.
The university, which operated out of a small, two-story office on Boulder Court, lost its certification and closed, following a raid last May by federal officials from ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of Homeland Security.
Court documents claim Su “made false statements and misrepresentations in petitions to DHS (Department of Homeland Security) to obtain student visas from the government,” according to charges in U.S. District Court in Oakland. “Su and Tri-Valley University have made millions of dollars in tuition fees for issuing these visa related documents which enable foreign nationals (to) obtain illegal student immigrant status.”
The document says Su ran an “elaborate fraud scheme” that netted millions of dollars from foreign nationals who hoped to become legal immigrants, and that Su used profits from her scam to buy five properties, including two homes in Pleasanton raided by ICE — at 2890 Victoria Ridge Court and 1371 Germano Way.
Su, who was released on a $300,000 bond, is apparently fighting back while awaiting trial. Documents posted at the TVU site refute the federal charges and a website has been established to solicit donations to fight the federal case.
The investigation received media coverage and caught the attention of members of Congress who asked about Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s process for school certification, leading senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) to request the Government Accountability Office audit.
The audit will examine the process through which Student and Exchange Visitor Program certifies academic institutions and the process used to monitor their compliance. It will also review the technological capabilities of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System to see how to strengthen the system’s ability to detect fraud.
Students of the university have pleaded not guilty, and the federal government now considers them to be victims of a fraud and not perpetrators.
-
Susan Xiao-Ping Su, the founder and president of Tri-Valley University and owner of two homes in Pleasanton, faces charges of money laundering, mail fraud and wire fraud. -
An interior shot of Tri-Valley University’s campus, which was apparently operated out of a small, two-story office space on Boulder Court. Photo by Glenn Wohltmann. -
Federal officials say Susan Su used Tri-Valley University has made millions of dollars in tuition fees for issuing visa related documents to foreign students. Photo by Glenn Wohltmann.
I’m wondering if the trial is going to be held tomorrow at 10 am or postponed yet again?
Will the GAO investigation determine how Tri-Valley University managed to obtain superintendent and school board permission to operate in the Pleasanton Unified School District downtown location from 2009 to 2010, for over a year, without a state license to operate a university in the State of California or any accreditation?
“Will the GAO investigation determine how Tri-Valley University managed to obtain superintendent and school board permission to operate in the Pleasanton Unified School District downtown location from 2009 to 2010, for over a year, without a state license to operate a university in the State of California or any accreditation?”
Susan Su apparently rented an office space from Pleasanton Unified’s downtown location, but I doubt that the superintendent or the school board were involved in the decision. It was probably just handled at the administrative level.
Hmmm…that is odd, Sam. The superintendent and school board approval for Tri-Valley University seems to be right here on the web.
Unless the signatures are forged and someone has put up a bogus PUSD website, the actual PUSD website shows the contract between Tri-Valley University and PUSD was approved by the superintendent and school board here on their PUSD website http://206.110.20.201/boardoftrustees/downloads/fullagendas/fasept0809.pdf
I wonder if that is why the Federal government initially charged those with entering the country illegally, but dropped the charges and found that the immigrants were in fact defrauded.
The article says those people that entered the country thinking it was real are victims rather than criminals. Maybe the Federal investigators found out about PUSD then dropped all charges against those that entered the country. Maybe that is when the Federal investigators found out about the existence of a contract between Tri-Valley University and PUSD.
I do think though that a PUSD spokesperson who seems to be named Myla Grasso (Administration? I am not sure.) is quoted in the press here http://pleasanton.patch.com/articles/new-details-emerge-in-pleasanton-university-scandal saying the contract between Tri-Valley University and PUSD began in July 2009, two months prior to the school board approval. I will say that Sam, from that article, it is hard to say who approved that contract in July 2009 prior to the September 2009 Superintendent and Board approval.
Maybe that will come out in the trial if it begins tomorrow.
Wouldn’t you think a college or university operating on a public school campus was an actual real college or university? I know I would!
“Scope” said: “Hmmm…that is odd, Sam. The superintendent and school board approval for Tri-Valley University seems to be right here on the web….Wouldn’t you think a college or university operating on a public school campus was an actual real college or university? I know I would!”
OK, the superintendent and board must have rubber-stamped the papers, then. I’m sure that it’s an embarrassment and they’ll be more careful in vetting people or organizations wanting to rent office space in the future. Not sure what more you want here. You want the superintendent to resign? The school board to all resign? Administrators to be fired? All of the above?
I’ll repeat my question.
“Will the GAO investigation determine how Tri-Valley University managed to obtain superintendent and school board permission to operate in the Pleasanton Unified School District downtown location from 2009 to 2010, for over a year, without a state license to operate a university in the State of California or any accreditation?”
So in more detail, I would like to know whether the U.S. Senator has asked GAO to include these questions in the scope of the GAO investigation being performed by the Federal Government:
1. Was PUSD given a fraudulent state license or fraudulent accreditation?
2. Did PUSD look up to see if this bogus university even have a state license or accreditation?
3. Did PUSD perform any background checks whatsoever on the personnel employed or did they have come and go as you please privileges on all school property? Did they even vet if it was a valid registered business or look at the website with all of the misspelled words?
4. Did PUSD even ask if they were licensed or have an accreditation?
5. What did PUSD get in exchange for signing a contract with Tri-Valley University?
6. Did PUSD have flyers for the bogus university at Amador and/or Foothill’s guidance counselor offices?
Why would the local newspaper give access to a site to donate money to an accused felon? I think it’s irresponsible and beyond the pale of being objective.
John, good point. I don’t know.
Also, what I don’t understand is how in the world PUSD had them operate on school property starting July 2009 — AFTER the Feds had already started their investigation (May 2009). Obviously, there already were enough red flags that the Feds were investigating them in May 2009 yet the District rented to them a couple of months after that? Huh?
How do we know this? Well, this Govt press release from early May 2011 said the investigation had gone on for two years. http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1105/110502oakland.htm
“Bay Area university president indicted for student visa fraud scheme
OAKLAND, Calif. – A federal grand jury here has indicted the president of a Pleasanton, Calif., university on 33-criminal counts, charging her with an array of violations, including visa fraud, money laundering and alien harboring, as a result of a two-year investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).”
Last I know in the USA a person is innocent until proven guilty. The accused has the right to a vigorous defense. It would irresponsible and beyond the pale of being objective to omit the donation web site.