The Latest: Lawyer calls student visa scam charges ‘bogus’

NEWARK, N.J. – The Latest on a New York City woman accused of participating in a student visa scam at a fake university federal authorities set up in New Jersey (all times local):

5:45 p.m.

A lawyer for a New York City woman indicted in a student visa scam involving a fake university set up in New Jersey is calling the charges “bogus.”

Ting Xue faces one count of conspiracy and seven counts of visa fraud in an indictment released Tuesday. The Queens resident is accused of recruiting foreign nationals to enrol so they could fraudulently obtain or keep student or work visas.

Federal authorities set up the University of Northern New Jersey in Cranford. It had no instructors, classes or degree programs.

Defence attorney Chunyu Jean Wang says the charges will be “adamantly fought.”

Wang also criticizes the government’s tactics and says undercover agents made the university “so real that these consultants really believed it was a real school.”

Wang also calls for the government to account for the money it took from the students and consultants.

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1:30 p.m.

A New York City woman has been indicted for her alleged role in a student visa scam uncovered after federal authorities set up a fake university.

Ting Xue faces one count of conspiracy and seven counts of visa fraud.

The 28-year-old Queens resident allegedly recruited foreign nationals to enrol so they could fraudulently obtain or keep student or work visas.

Federal authorities set up the University of Northern New Jersey in 2014 in Cranford. It had no instructors, classes or degree programs, but advertised itself as a destination for foreign students.

The U.S. attorney’s office says Xue and 20 others charged in April knew the university was bogus but didn’t know it was a sting operation.

An attorney listed for Xue didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment.