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Immigration Officials May Allow TVU Students To Stay

Meena Rupani | February 11, 2011, 2:07PM

Tri-Valley University

Students duped in the Tri-Valley University scam were given some relief on Thursday after ICE officials announced guidelines that may enable them to stay in the U.S. to finish their studies. The students, 95 percent of which were Indian nationals, will not be automatically deported as they initially feared.

Students have three options, according to ICE officials -- but only one of them involves staying to complete their schooling.

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Topics: California, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), India

Immigration

Tri-Valley University Founder Investigated for Immigration Fraud

Meena Rupani | February 9, 2011, 12:25PM

Susan Su, founder of Tri Valley University

A government sting operation in mid-January caught Susan Su, founder of Tri-Valley University, allegedly selling student visas. Su was immediately arrested and authorities told The Times of India that she will be charged with money laundering and visa fraud.

Su had reportedly been selling the student visas for $100 to mainly Indian nationals since May 2009 -- in addition to charging them $2,700 per semester. Su apparently used the tuition and fees collected from those students to purchase five properties in California.

Suspicions arose when half of the 1,500 students enrolled in the university claimed to be residing in an apartment complex in Sunnyvale, the court complaint reads. In reality, majority of the students were taking classes online in addition to working and residing elsewhere.

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Topics: California, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), India

Stewart Nozette

Prosecutor: Top Scientist Nozette Admitted Actual Spying For Israel

Justin Elliott | October 30, 2009, 11:32AM

Stewart Nozette

Did a federal prosecutor just make the inflammatory accusation that top government scientist Stewart Nozette has admitted to giving classified information to the Israeli government?

By our reading of this AP story, that's exactly what happened at a hearing in U.S. district court in Washington yesterday.

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Topics: Anthony Asuncion , Eric Holder, Espionage, India, Israel Aerospace Industries, Justice Department, NASA, Stewart David Nozette, Stewart Nozette

Stewart Nozette

Nozette Intrigue Grows: Spy Suspect Recently Cooperated With Feds In Separate Criminal Probe

Justin Elliott | October 28, 2009, 12:59PM

Stewart Nozette

As part of a plea deal in a fraud case last year, espionage suspect Stewart Nozette agreed to cooperate with authorities in a separate criminal probe and was specifically allowed to keep his passport because international travel was essential to his work as an informant, according to newly unsealed court documents.

The revelations raise a number of difficult-to-answer questions, including why a man with access to Top Secret weapons information and a fraud conviction -- about whom authorities already had national security concerns -- was permitted to retain his passport. And they add yet another layer of intrigue to the case of a top government scientist who allegedly sold classified info to an FBI employee posing as an Israeli agent in September.

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Topics: Chandrayaan-1, Espionage, India, NASA, Stewart David Nozette, Stewart Nozette

Stewart Nozette

Pakistani Embassy: We're Keeping Close Eye On India-Linked Nozette Spy Case

Justin Elliott | October 27, 2009, 4:44PM

Indian and Pakistani national flags with Stewart Nozette (inset)

The spokesman for the Pakistani Embassy in Washington tells TPMmuckraker that it is watching the espionage case of Stewart Nozette closely following a report that the high-level U.S. government scientist traveled to India with two computer thumb drives in January.

"Definitely we have interest in the news," said spokesman Nadeen Kiani. "The concerned desk officer is watching [developments]."

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Topics: India, Pakistan, Stewart David Nozette, Stewart Nozette

Stewart Nozette

Officials: Mysterious 'Country A' In Nozette Spy Case Is India

Justin Elliott | October 27, 2009, 11:17AM

Stewart Nozette

Confirming a theory first reported by TPMmuckraker last week, quotes from law enforcement officials in the Washington Post reveal that the country to which espionage suspect Stewart Nozette allegedly traveled with two computer thumb drives in January was India.

Contacted by TPMmuckraker last week, the spokesman for the Indian Embassy in Washington said the embassy had no comment on the Nozette case, though he was familiar with the matter. Nikhilesh Dhirar did not immediately respond to a request for comment today. No wrongdoing by India is alleged, and it's not known what was on those thumb drives Nozette allegedly brought to India, where he was working on a space project.

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Topics: Chandrayaan-1, Department of Energy, Espionage, India, Indian Space Research Organization, Mossad, NASA, Nikhilesh Dhirar, Stewart David Nozette, Stewart Nozette

Stewart Nozette

Could The Israeli Spy Case Really Be An Indian Spy Case?

Justin Elliott | October 20, 2009, 5:15PM

Stewart David Nozette

Since the Feds unsealed a criminal complaint against a former high level NASA scientist yesterday, charging him with attempted espionage, media interest has focused on the Israel angle: an FBI employee posed as a Mossad agent and gave Stewart Nozette money for classified satellite information.

Even the Justice Department's press release on the arrest played up the Mossad ploy, while noting that Israel is not accused of breaking any laws.

But a curious section in the criminal complaint suggests that there was a foreign country -- identified only as "Country A" -- to which Nozette may have passed information.

And there's circumstantial evidence suggesting one "Country A" candidate is India.