Chen H. Lee, also known as Jackson Lee, of Flushing and Huey M. Wang, also known as Henry Wang, of…
By Alexander Dworkowitz
Two men have been charged with defrauding their clients into believing that the Flushing nursing school they operated was legitimate, authorities said.
Chen H. Lee, also known as Jackson Lee, of Flushing and Huey M. Wang, also known as Henry Wang, of Staten Island told their students that their school was affiliated with two accredited schools in the South, a claim that is completely false, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
The two were arrested July 8 and arraigned in front of Queens Criminal Court Judge Robert Raciti the following day, a spokeswoman for Brown said.
In September, Lee and Wang began advertising their school, the Cooperative Annex of Southern Virginia University at 36-09 Main St., in the Chinese-language newspaper The World Journal as well as Chinese radio stations, according to the criminal complaint.
The ad said the school offered a bachelor’s degree in nursing, nursing certificates, training for nursing exams and job placement in local hospitals, promising the school would help the students achieve valid work status in the United States, the complaint said.
Lee and Wang claimed the school was operating as the new Flushing annex of Southern Virginia University, the complaint said. They told the students they were doctors, a claim currently under investigation, said a law enforcement source.
When contacted by investigators, Bob Hutch, vice president for development of university relations at Southern Virginia, said Lee and Wang had no permission to operate the school using their name, the complaint said.
The defendants also told their clients they were affiliated with Glenford University in Louisiana, a school that no longer exists and was never accredited by the state of Louisiana, authorities said.
Michael Siff, Lee’s attorney, would not comment on the case, while Lee Latimer, Wang’s attorney, could not be reached for comment.
From September to January, students attended classes at the school, taught by Wang, who distributed pamphlets on nursing and discussed basic nursing skills, authorities said. They were given student identification cards labeled Glenford University, the complaint said.
At least 10 Asian women attended the classes, although authorities were investigating whether or not additional people took the classes, authorities said.
Students were charged as much as $8,000 for the classes, authorities said.
In December, one student, Min Chan Lin, was presented with a certificate from Glenford University along with a transcript indicating she had taken classes since August 2001, a year before the Flushing school even opened, the complaint said.
When another student, Jing Zhou, demanded her money back in December, Lee “punched her numerous times about the chest and shoulders and shoved her out of the office,” the complaint said.
Both Lee and Wang were charged with grand larceny, scheme to defraud, criminal impersonation and criminal possession of a forged instrument, while Lee was also charged with assault and harassment, authorities said.
Each man faces up to seven years in prison if convicted, a spokeswoman for the district attorney said. Wang was being held on $3,000 bail, Lee on $5,000 bail, the spokeswoman said.
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
