Local College Prep Academy Officials Indicted on Immigration Fraud Charges

The head of College Prep Academy in Duluth and other school officials have been indicted on charges of conspiring to bring illegal aliens into the country and issuing them fraudulent immigration documents. 

Dong Seok Yi, 52, of Duluth, president and CEO of the English language school named College Prep Academy, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements in immigration documents, according to U.S. Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. Yi owns the Korean Times Atlanta, a local newspaper.

Also indicted were Sook An Kil, a/k/a Stacy Kil, 41, of Duluth, academic coordinator for CPA; Chang Seon Song, 51, of Suwanee, the school’s academic director; and Sang Houn Kim a/k/a Chris Park, 53, of Diamond Bar, CA.

“These defendants are charged with using a student visa program as a front to cashing in on bringing immigrants here to work in local bars,” said Yates in a news release issued by her office. “From manufacturing false documents, to charging thousands of dollars in tuition payments to maintain the immigrants on their rolls, the defendants are charged with subverting the purpose of the student VISA program for profit.”

A federal grand jury indicted the defendants on March 5, 2013, and returned a superseding indictment against them on April 2.  Federal agents also executed a federal search warrant at the school Wednesday (April 10) morning and seized bank accounts associated with the school located at 4250 River Green Parkway, Suite C.

The indictment charges the defendents with one count of conspiracy and eight counts of making false statements in immigration documents. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and each false statement count carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Each count carries a fine of up to $250,000. The court will consider U.S. sentencing guidelines in determining actual sentences.

In 2009, Yi filed an application with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Student and Exchange Visitor Program,and obtained approval for College Prep Academy to enroll foreign-born students and issue I-20 forms, which enables students to stay in the United States, the news release stated. 

Foreign-born students who are issued I-20s from universities and other institutions of higher education can get F-1 student visas permitting them to remain in the United States while obtaining their schooling.

Once Yi obtained Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification for College Prep Academy, he and his co-defendants allegedly began facilitating the issuance of F-1 student visas to foreign-born individuals who were not entitled to, or eligible for, the visas, according to the news release. 

Also, Yi allegedly conspired with Korean bar owners to enroll females into the school with the understanding that the females would not attend classes as required but would instead work as prostitutes in the bars. College Prep Academy issued them fraudulent I-20s that included false financial information. 

Kil allegedly signed the I-20s under penalty of perjury. She also certified in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a computerized system maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, that College Prep Academy’s “students” were active and attending class even though most never attended. 

System records show that the school claimed enrollment of up to 100 students when less than half that number were attending class. Many simply began living and working in the country after obtaining a student visa from College Prep Academy.

Yi and Song allegedly referred individuals to Kim to obtain false documents to support their F-1 visa applications. Kim manufactured and provided fraudulent passports, I-94 forms, school transcripts, bank statements, family registries, and other false documents to illegal immigrants to use in support of applications for F-1 visas. Kim charged the aliens thousands of dollars for the fraudulent documents. 

Yi and College Prep Academy profited by charging thousands in quarterly tuition payments for maintaining the immigrant on the student rolls.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Investigators have been working with the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs Section to provide legitimate and prospective students with information regarding their options for maintaining their F-1 status, according to the news release. Students will be given the option of enrollment and transfer to another accredited educational program or returning to their home countries voluntarily.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain, Susan Coppedge, and Thomas J. Krepp are prosecuting the case.