Enrolled international students Forgery of documents And after leaving small details in a Reddit post, he lied about his life to falsely secure a free ride scholarship.
Aryan Anand, 19, has been awarded a scholarship to attend Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
“I’ve built my life and career on lies.”
Anand had claimed that his father had died and that he had studied hard to get admission to college from his native India, and had even submitted a copy of his father’s death certificate to the university.
After getting a scholarship and entering college, the student Hospitalized He spoke about the fabricated content in a Reddit post that he likely believed was anonymous.
The post was titled “I’ve Built My Life and Career on Lies” and listed false details he concocted, including falsified transcripts and financial statements, to gain admission to an unnamed university on a large scholarship.
The account was anonymous, but eagle-eyed users of the Reddit site noticed that it was following other threads related to Lehigh University.
“So the host actually contacted Lehigh University to let them know in advance,” said Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Michael Weinert.
The student was arrested in Northampton County and charged with numerous offenses related to falsifying records.
Light punishment
Anand admitted to obtaining the scholarship fraudulently and also lying about the death of his father, who still lives in India.
Anand took a plea deal, pleading guilty to one count of forgery, and although he faced a possible 10 to 20 years in prison, he received a lighter sentence at the request of the university.
The university also agreed not to seek $85,000 in damages as long as Anand agreed to return to India.
Students who spoke to WPVI-TV agreed the university made the right decision.
“He certainly stole a lot and that scholarship probably went to someone better, but I think Lehigh made the right decision.” Said Nick Carnevale, a fourth-grader.
“These things have been difficult to actually verify. I think it’s great work by Lehigh University and the police department. They investigated thoroughly and were able to find that it was all, in fact, a lie,” Weinert said of the case.
The university released a statement praising the “diligent investigation by Lehigh University Police that led to the arrest of Aryan Anand.”
Lehigh University was founded in 1865 and has an enrollment of approximately 5,600 students.
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