A 36-year-old man will spend six months in prison for his role in recruiting dozens of foreign-born students to attend a phony school in suburban Detroit so they could remain in the U.S. The Detroit News reports that Phanideep Karnati was sentenced Wednesday in federal court.
Authorities say Karnati recruited 74 people to enroll in The University of Farmington which was created by the Department of Homeland Security. Its offices were in Farmington Hills but there were no classes or teachers. Recruiters were paid to help foreigners maintain their status as "students" and get work permits. Karnati is a native of India and lived in Louisville, Kentucky. Seven other recruiters have been sentenced in the scheme.