2 Somerset County Employees Admit Helping Foreign Clients With Visa Fraud: US Attorney

SOMERSET, NJ — Two employees from a Somerset County company admitted Tuesday to recruiting foreign nationals to enroll in a fake college in order to obtain student visas and/or work authorizations, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Harpreet Sachdeva, 26, of Somerset and Sanjeev Sukhija, 35, of North Brunswick pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to separate informations charging them each with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

In total, Sachdeva, Sukhija and others fraudulently maintained and attempted to obtain approximately 45 student visas and/or work authorizations, according to Fishman.

Both Sachdeva and Sukhija could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2017 and Jan. 10, 2017, respectively.

The pair were charged on April 5, along with 22 brokers, recruiters, and employers with enrolling foreign nationals in the University of Northern New Jersey, a purported for-profit college located in Cranford (UNNJ).

UNNJ was created in September 2013 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was not staffed with instructors or educators, had no curriculum, and conducted no actual classes or education activities. It operated solely as a storefront location staffed by federal agents posing as school administrators.

Sachdeva and Sukhij – Indian citizens who are present in the United States on foreign worker visas – were each employed at Right OPT, a purported international student recruiting and consulting company located in Somerset.

Sachdeva and Sukhija told Right OPT’s foreign recruits that for a fee, they could enroll at UNNJ without having to attend any classes and that their enrollment would enable them to fraudulently maintain their nonimmigrant status, according to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court.

With full knowledge that the recruits were not bona fide students and would not attend any courses, earn credits, or make academic progress toward any legitimate degree at UNNJ, Sachdeva and Sukhija caused forms to be issued to the foreign nationals, according to the report.

Along with maintaining student visa status for their foreign clients, Sachdeva and Sukhija also conspired to secure fraudulent work authorizations them, according to Fishman.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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