Calif. visa scam allegedly helped prostitutes
Beverly Hills man accused of using language schools to bring in Russians

AP NEWSWIRE updated 8:47 p.m. ET, Wed., April. 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES - A Beverly Hills man was arrested Wednesday on charges that he used his English language schools as a front to get student visas for Russian prostitutes and other ineligible foreigners.

Behzad "Ben" Zaman, 50, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran, was arrested by federal customs agents at the Concord English Language Center on Wilshire Boulevard near downtown.

On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted Zaman on 14 counts of fraud and misuse of visas, conspiracy and money laundering, according to a statement from federal officials. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 210 years in prison.

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Zaman operated Concord and another school, the International College for English Studies, authorities said.

Zaman could not be reached for comment. Calls to both schools were not answered Wednesday.

'Legitimate students' at schools
Federal agents did not close the two schools, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"There are legitimate students that go to these schools and there are real classrooms," Kice said.

However, Zaman also charged thousands of dollars in "tuition" to "students" who were kept on the enrollment books even though they were not attending classes, authorities contended.

The indictment specifically cited more than $320,000 Zaman allegedly received from illegal activities, authorities said.

The schools claimed to have more than 1,000 students early this year but in fact could not physically hold them, the statement said.

In fact, some of the "students" were people from Uzbekistan and Latvia who were ineligible for student visas, according to the indictment.

"Russian and Latvian women prostitutes were posing as English-language students," alleged an affidavit for a search warrant.

'Flagrant violation'
The number of allegedly phony students was not disclosed. However, the case is believed to be one of the largest student visa fraud schemes uncovered on the West Coast, said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of the U.S. Customs and Enforcement office of investigations in Los Angeles.

"This flagrant violation of our immigration laws shows how greed can compromise our national security," U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said in a statement. "We welcome legitimate students who want to take advantage of educational opportunities in America. We do not welcome individuals posing as students who have no intention of studying and who simply want to gain access to this country."

The search warrant affidavit said a woman from Thailand told customs officials that she paid $2,000 a year to obtain immigration status from International College but did not attend classes.

ah the school of prostitution.

Authoraties were tipped off by a woman who complained the "School had beds instead of desks..."

makes you wonder what the classes were really like.

doggy style 101

advanced oral 404

Russian and Latvian women

Eastern European women are HAWT! Hu hu grr stampa stampa.

FeFe was an instructor there on oral hygiene

Why are prostitutes "ineligible foreigners"? Is prostitution a big deal for USCIS?

not if they show enough evidence to the CO

Ok...I'll say it... The school was easy to pass - there were never any written tests...They were always oral...

Hey, that's easy

But some teachers were a little anal about those tests.

Funny...I heard the tests were so easy you could pass them lying down.

gymnastics classes offered for extra credit

Do you find gymnasts sexually arousing?

The International Institute for Prostitiutes.

yeap...i am a life-time associate member,....

Are you the president or just a professor ?

do you find my posts arousing? you seem to enjoy finding them.....


he's just a member

i am just a memeber but use to be a nov-voter when i was a pimp..."pimping ain't easy"

Your evidence? My guess is that you post around what, 300 posts a day? I don't remember the last time I responded directly to something you posted and yet, I have made around 20 posts today. Seems you are looking for something that isn't there mate.

my guess....you don't know what you are talking about nor have you discovered this link on vj....

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?act=Stats

87 for today btw

You have posted 87 times, I have posted 45 times and twice (this being the second) I have responded specifically to a post you made. I think that sums up my case rather nicely - thank you for your pedantry.

thank you for expanding the facts above and beyond reality, so typical.

Regardless of why please stop the back and forth attacks. Thank you.

Charles repoted that? Oh my gosh, that's too funny. Sorry Capt Ewok but if that's a personal attack...you know what, ban me, I really don't care.