North Brunswick Man Admits Helping Foreigners Attend Fake NJ College

North Brunswick, NJ - A North Brunswick man admitted Tuesday that he recruited people from other countries to enroll in a fake college — the University of Northern New Jersey — just so they could obtain student visas and work authorizations.

Sanjeev Sukhija, 35, of North Brunswick, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court, along with Harpreet Sachdeva, 26, of Somerset, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. The two men were caught in an immigration sting set up by the Dept. of Homeland Security three years ago.

In 2013, the Dept. of Homeland Security made up the fictional college, the University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ), which they said was located in Cranford. The school 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 here 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. That way, their enrollment at the so-called "school" would allow them to maintain their non-immigrant status.

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 and Jan. 10, respectively.

Shutterstock image