Va. man sentenced in visa scheme

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A third person involved in a scheme to create fraudulent transcripts so that foreign students would appear eligible to retain their student visas has been sentenced to almost two years in prison.

A federal judge in Virginia sentenced Mohamad Tellawi of Falls Church, Virginia, to 22 months in prison Friday. Tellawi pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit immigration document fraud. Two co-conspirators have already been sentenced.

Prosecutors say Tellawi was a manager at Virginia-based Integrated Academics, a company that caters to international students. Prosecutors say Tellawi and another manger conspired with a Strayer University admissions official to create at least 58 fraudulent transcripts to help clients retain student visas.

Tellawi’s attorney Jonathan Simms says his client will focus on bettering himself when he is released from prison.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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