Providence Police charged Shishuai Li GS with obtaining money by false pretenses yesterday, according to Providence 6th District Court records. Under the ruse of fundraising for children in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Li tricked a woman from Florida into giving him $30,000, according to the U.S. News and World Report.
The University learned of the charges against the computer science graduate student Wednesday, wrote Director of News and Editorial Development Brian Clark in an email to The Herald. “Brown will review the incident in the context of University policies and determine what interim measures may be required,” he wrote. The Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation into Li’s activities Nov. 1 following suspicious activity in his bank account, according to the U.S. News and World Report. On Nov. 27, a woman from Florida deposited $30,000 into his account and later informed investigators that Li had spoken about a school for underprivileged children in Dubai, the article states. Bank of America froze his account, and Li allegedly told the bank that the money had come from a friend and was used to pay rent and tuition.
Li did not enter a plea during a hearing yesterday, and he was made to surrender his passport, according to court records. The bail was set at $3,000.
Li did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the Providence Police Department could not be reached by press time.
