Feds: California man ran student visa fraud ring

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Eamonn Higgins has never earned a college degree in his own name, but prosecutors allege that for the past seven years the 46-year-old has been going to school non-stop for dozens of other students.

Higgins, of Laguna Niguel, was charged Monday with operating a ring of illegal test-takers who allegedly helped dozens of Middle Eastern nationals obtain U.S. student visas by passing English-proficiency exams for them - and then helped them hold onto those visas by taking college courses, passing finals and writing term papers in their names.

The allegations outlined in court papers reveal a potentially dangerous security breach in the country’s student visa system and underscore the vulnerability of a tracking process that relies on schools and testing centers to verify the identities of people taking the mandated exams.

Higgins made an appearance in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud as federal immigration agents arrested 16 of his suspected clients who remained in Southern California. A judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

In one case, authorities said, a blond woman working for Higgins was allowed to take an exam using a fake ID that paired her photo with a man’s Arabic name.

Authorities have not said any of the clients were engaged in terrorist activity and have yet to determine their motives for hiring Higgins.

Six of Higgins’ alleged clients face criminal charges, while the remaining students face deportation proceedings, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for ICE. Ten additional students were not arrested but will be questioned by agents in the ongoing investigation, Kice said.

Source:
Feds: California man ran student visa fraud ring
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