‘College’ Created as Part of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Sting Operation
NEWARK, N.J. – The chief executive officer and managing director of two Middlesex County, New Jersey, companies today admitted recruiting foreign nationals to enroll at a “pay to stay” New Jersey college in order to fraudulently maintain his clients’ student visa status and obtain full-time work authorizations without having to attend classes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Tejesh Kodali, 45, of Edison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
On April 5, 2016, 22 brokers, recruiters, and employers, including Kodali, were charged with enrolling foreign nationals in the University of Northern New Jersey, a purported for-profit college located in Cranford, New Jersey (UNNJ). The 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.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Kodali – an Indian citizen and lawful permanent resident in the United States – was the director of operations of Promatrix Corp. and Blue Cloud Techs Corp., which were purported international student recruiting and consulting companies located in Edison.
UNNJ represented itself as a school that, among other things, was authorized to issue a document known as a “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status - for Academic and Language Students,” commonly referred to as a Form I-20. This document, which certifies that a foreign national has been accepted to a school and would be a full-time student, typically enables legitimate foreign students to obtain an F-1 student visa. With the visa, they can enter or remain in the United States while they make normal progress toward the completion of a full course of study at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified institution.
Kodali told his foreign national clients 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. 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, Kodali caused Forms I-20 to be issued to the foreign nationals.
Kodali also caused the foreign nationals to be reported in government databases as legitimate foreign students. In order to deceive immigration officials, Kodali and his foreign clients obtained and created fraudulent student documents, including attendance records and transcripts.
After enabling them to maintain their student visa status, Kodali also conspired to secure fraudulent work authorizations for some of their foreign clients. He admitted that his intention was to profit from the scheme by outsourcing these foreign individuals through Promatrix and Blue Techs as information technology consultants with various businesses in the United States for commissions. In total, Kodali and his conspirators fraudulently maintained and attempted to obtain 37 student visas and/or work authorizations.
The conspiracy to commit visa fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Kodali is scheduled for March 13, 2017.