Man Sentenced to Prison for Student Loan Fraud

Susan W. Brooks, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that NATHAN VOGTS, 27, Ching Mai, Thailand, was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment today by U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton following his guilty plea to two counts of Student Loan Fraud. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General.

Between May, 1999 and August, 2001, VOGTS, an American citizen, was enrolled in an undergraduate program at Bond University in Queensland, Australia. Between June 6, 2001 and May 3, 2002, VOGTS obtained five federally insured student loans totaling approximately $87,855 from lenders in the United States. To qualify for the loans, VOGTS falsely represented that he was enrolled in a graduate degree program at the university. VOGTS' enrollment at the university, however, ceased when he received his undergraduate degree and he was never enrolled in a graduate degree program at the university. VOGTS used the fraudulently acquired loan proceeds to support himself, to start a business venture, and to seek treatment for a medical condition.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Joe H. Vaughn, who prosecuted the case for the government, Judge Hamilton also imposed 3 years supervised release following VOGTS' release from imprisonment. During the period of supervised release, VOGTS will be subject to the supervision of the United States District Court. VOGTS was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $87,855.