I got a disturbing news. it is form a Local newspaper Gazette.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coe student pleads guilty to making false Social Security Card

The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS ? Coe College student Vivek Shrestha, 22, of Nepal, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to using a computer and scanner at Coe Collage Library in an attempt to make false Social Security Card so he could obtain employment in the United States.

Shrestha had a restricted Social Security Card which could not be used to obtain employment . He attempted to scan the card and remove the employment restriction, records show. He intended to use the counterfeit card to apply for employment in Washington D.C.

Shrestha remains free on bond. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $ 250,000 fine and three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

i cannot believe this ... damnnn

15 years....this is too much forsmall mistake.......i hope they will let him free ...god bless him

What was he thinking? One could buy feak Social Security card for $10 in downtown LA. He should go back home before he is prosecuted.

DAMN....

yes, best thing would be to go back home .. but well, there must be restrictions ... his best hope is to ask for extradition to nepal .. hope everything goes well ... but a fatal mistake on his part.

he should go back to nepal...Ana_CA is right....

god bless him

Here is how this american dude responds to this incident in his blog.
-http://writingright.typepad.com/

- http://writingright.typepad.com/

I feel sorry for the guy but I agree what he did and how he did it is totally stupid.

He might be indited for conspiring to create fake documents for illegal immigrants; a serious felony charge. These days the govt. can do/say almost anything. Who knows if the media will accuse him of helping the Al-Queda get illegal documents.

I was trying to find out the authenticity of that news about Nepali Student, and, as usual, I happened to google on it.

Unfortunately/fortunately, I happened to browse this site, which I am attaching on below-
http://writingright.typepad.com/

Whoever commented on that topic titled "Stupid Criminal", I feel pity on his way of thinking. I wish he can see through the eyes of Vivek. If you are so joyous with busting with this hard working Nepali student, then what happend to those people who come illegally here and have a legal seat on a aeroplane and never get busted.
I am so shocked to read that note....

I am not saying whatever Vivek did is right, but hey- is that such an evil act???

RSVP,

I don't think an avg american will ever approve of an immigrant taking away their job whether the job be dishwashing. He must've been pissed and so I don't blame that guy. People from Nepal (Including myself) when they come here tell that they will finance their education. So what can an avg american expect from them? Create fake documents to work? He might as well have worked without any documents instead of forging one. Yeah I do feel sorry for the guy that he got busted. He must have've a hard time financing his education and was desparate and he didn't realize what he was doing. I have full sympathy towards him. But I still want to ask a few questions before arriving at any conclusions:

1. Did he try to apply for employment authorization or scholarships?
2. Was he a legal F-1 student or was he out of status? Did he have a good academic record?
3. Did he tell the International Student advisor about his problems?

if he had tried all the things to get work authorization, then yes I have my full sympathy towards him. If not then yeah, he should've have thought of the consequences before taking that action.

Dear sojodude:

How credibility is there for you being sojodude, as your name suggest.

In fact, I did not try to blame that guy who posted that post titled "Stupid Criminal": however, I feel pity on him, the way he comprehend the whole situation.

Well, I don't give a dang about the enlisted criteria like whether Vivek applied for work permit, whether he was in a full time F-1 status or whether he inquired his problem to so called International Student Advisor, or he got scholarships or in a good academic standing. To tell you the truth, almost all (exception are always there...), most of the Nepali Students who come to the United States of America for further studies, they all were in pretty good on their academic standing. Getting average score on SAT, TOEFL, GRE is not a joke. In fact, I am proud of all those Nepalese Students on overseas, who are, despite so meager opportunities and resources, try to do their best.

I totally agree with you about your statement of average american getting pissed off just seeing his job taken away by some immigrant or non-immigrant workers. Been there-Done that. But the question is - this is the land of opportunity and not to mention, those who are claiming the citizens of USA now were once immgrant, directly or indirectly. I think, to my opinion, the main reason behind that resentment of immigrant worker taking their job is that most of the highly paid jobs,now a days, on science and technology, IT, and may areas are invaded by foreign workers, and perhaps that is the reason.

One question to sojodude- do you know the average salary per nepalese??? How about the GDP??? It is a kind of "Don't Tell- Don't Hear" situation ....... So having this statistics of our country, including many other countries, why in the first place they accepted us- forget about the commitment of foreign students to pay their tuition.... And I am sure an average american also get a student loan for their further education in colleges or universities, and the funny thing is their parents do not support on their children's education.

Well, good discussion, thanks for joining me...

RSVP

Sojodude,
But there are some Internationals student advisors who follw the book, Iam not saying whatever he did is great but busted. But ll those questions won't help if your internationals go through book. I will bet you money 100% off we Nepalese were on his boat who will work off cmpus but bad luck for him he got caught. I got full sympathy on him. But I would have to say Life is getting tougher and tougher everyday after sept 11. Its not like it used to be back then.
peace

Vivek must have thought the consequences and ramifications of his acts before taking any steps in that direction. My question is whypeople come to America for study if they do not have means to finance or if they can not manage good funding? Coz this is due to the unwarranted dreams created by his frens and pressure of society. Nepali in nepal think that Us is the land where everything can be fulfilled and money can be earned like shaking trees to get leaves from it. Sajha shoul start counselling and awareness among nepalis that these all things are fake. These simple and poor people should be contended with the education in nepal and earnings in our land nepal so long as they do not get scholarship and can not manage funds. The capitalists world hardly cares for poors and it is our fate............what we can do?
Being a lawyer, i feel the necessity of Legal p-ractitioners for VIVEk.If any immigrant and criminal lawyers are there in Sajha or u have connection, please help him.

i'm so sorry for vivek,, with this in mind i hope all Nepalese learnt a lesson, either be dumb and folllow the rules or be smart enough not to get caught by college police...dudes...i hope he's ok..and i hope this won't happen again

Pook vivek ... i hope no one has to go thru what he's goin thru rite now .... so many people does these kinda things ... but he became a "bali ka Bakra" ... these dayz americans show no mercy to outsiders .... so many people are illegal here and so many people work illegally , but why a poor student like vivek have to suffer the consequence .... place urself in vivek's shoes and u'll understand his pain he must be goin thru rite now ... i say , we sud all start a international student union (neplese) and we sud ask the US gov't for his immediate release .... if he is thrown is jail, so sud million others who are illegal here and working illegally ... at least he sud be allowed out of the jail and deported to nepal, but sudn't be kept in US prison ... after all, his only fault was to try to work here, and that to , to pay tuition fee here ... its not that he's sending US dollars outside ... he's paying tuition here, so that american students can study free .... man , i suggest noone come to US for further studies if they treat int'l students like criminal ....

When you break the law, you will be criminal irrespective of ur motives.....................Sorry vivek, there should be good advocacy to protect his life and people should know that USA and other western countries are not our dreamlands

It was just his unfortunate. In a way I can't deny he falls victim of his own stupid act. There are majority of population like Vivek anyway, is in dire need of money to pay freakin bill in this country.. Only difference is they never get caught.

God bless you brother.

Just one unlucky dude:
There are quite few nepalese who rub off the restriction from the SS card or make photocopies and then edit etc.
But usually, they use that to work in small places; not in a government office.
As it is said before, working without card is a lot better than forging documents.
Let's hope he gets by with some sort of fine.
Vivek's best deal would be go back home instead of going to jail here.