Student Visa Fraud

Eamonn Daniel Higgins has been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud for attending ten different schools in Southern California on behalf of dozens of foreign students. The students, mostly from the Middle East, would pay him to sit in class, take exams and write their papers so their visas would stay in effect. They paid as much as $1,500 for course assignments and finals. The special agent in charge of investigations said that this was a “really sophisticated” scheme– something they’d never seen before. Higgins carried on his plan from 2002 to 2009 and even had employees working for him. Authorities were first made aware of his actions when a wallet was found with seven fake California driver’s licenses, all with a photo of Higgins’ nephew. Higgins now faces up to five years in federal prison and the 16 students who had hired him have also been arrested and face criminal and immigration consequences.