NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — A 29-year-old woman allegedly used a fake birth certificate to enroll as a student at a New Jersey high school last week, officials said Thursday.
Hyejeong Shin was arrested Tuesday and charged with providing a false government document after registering at New Brunswick High School, according to the New Brunswick Police Department.
“Ms. Shin provided a false birth certificate to the New Brunswick Board of
Education with the intent to enroll as a juvenile high school student,” police said.
Dr. Aubrey Johnson, superintendent of New Brunswick Schools, said school officials discovered the scheme while conducting their normal vetting process. New Jersey law requires schools to admit students without documentation or information on immigration status until their identity is confirmed, Johnson said. The student then has 30 days to provide the necessary paperwork.
“Last week, an adult female posing as a student filed false documents and so gained provisional admittance to our high school. Following the established protocols that are part of our vetting process, members of our staff discovered the deception and promptly barred her from entering any district property,” Johnson said in a statement to PIX11 News. “The well-being of our students, staff, and community are of utmost importance to us, and we will continue working with the police department and our other partners in addressing this matter.”
It remained unclear how long Shin was a student at the school, however, ABC News reported it was four days. The motive is also unknown.
A spokesperson for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said they have not yet received the case because the New Brunswick Police Department is still investigating.
