BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A teenage Lehigh University student has been kicked out of the school and criminally charged for forging documents to secure admission and financial aid, Northampton’s district attorney announced Monday.
Aryan Anand,19, of India, has been criminally charged with fabricating admission and financial aid documentation to attend Lehigh, according to a release from Northampton County District Attorney Stephen G. Baratta.
Anand stated he created “fraudulent and fabricated admission, application, financial aid paperwork, and other documents. "This was all done for the purpose of securing admission and financial aid to attend a university in the United States,” he wrote.Northampton County District Attorney office release
Anand is set to return to India, and the university has decided not to seek restitution — which would have amounted to about $85,000, according to the release.
Anand allegedly was outed by users on the social media website Reddit, where he entered a post titled “I have built my life and career on lies.”
In the post, Anand stated he created “fraudulent and fabricated admission, application, financial aid paperwork, and other documents.”
"This was all done for the purpose of securing admission and financial aid to attend a university in the United States,” he wrote.
Charges and plea
A moderator from Reddit notified Lehigh of the post, after which the Lehigh University Police Department began an investigation, according to the release.
Anand was confirmed as the author of the Reddit post, and he subsequently revealed he had falsified documents, including fake email addresses impersonating a school principal, transcripts, tax and income statements, and a fraudulent death certificate for his father.
On June 12, in Northampton County Court, Anand entered a negotiated guilty plea to one count of forgery, graded as a second-degree felony.Northampton County District Attorney's office release
The police department’s investigation revealed Anand’s father is alive and residing in India, according to the release.
Anand was arrested on April 30, and charged with a second-degree felony for forgery, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence; tampering with records or identification; and third-degree felonies for theft by deception and theft of services, which carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence.
Anand was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Jordan A. Knisley, with a bail of $25,000.
On June 12, in Northampton County Court, Anand entered a negotiated guilty plea to one count of forgery, graded as a second-degree felony.
Anand has been released to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
