Student forged degree for money

A Chinese student helped forge a fake Massey University degree and tried to sell it through Chinese language New Zealand newspapers for $2000, the Wellington District Court was told.

Jin Sun, 24, of Island Bay in Wellington, later told police he thought it would be a good way of helping Chinese students to take a degree home to their parents.

Sun was yesterday remanded on bail until May 13 for sentencing after admitting forgery.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Marc May said Sun had come to New Zealand in 1999 and completed a diploma in business computing.

Last year he returned to China, where he met an associate who asked to look at his diploma and copy it. Sun agreed.

The associate asked him to put advertisements in Chinese language newspapers in New Zealand for anyone having problems earning degrees, diplomas and certificates to get help.

Sun and the associate decided to charge $2000 for a degree or diploma, with the profits to be split between them.

Mr May said the advertisements were placed in November last year. They produced a number of replies but only one wanted to get the degree.

He said a female Chinese national student met Sun, who agreed to produce and supply her with a bachelor of business studies.

Sun dropped the price to $1000 and the student paid him $50 initially, agreeing to pay the rest on delivery of the degree.

Mr May said Sun made up an academic record from the Massey University course handbook and emailed it to his associate in Shanghai.

The degree was forged in Shanghai along with a testimonial from the university as to the completion of the course. It was posted to New Zealand but intercepted by customs.

When the student told Sun the degree had never arrived, he arranged for another one and charged her a further $270.

It was sent to an address in China, where the student picked it up while on a trip.

She was stopped on her return to New Zealand and the degree was confiscated.

Sun told the police that he had helped in the forging because he was short of money and thought it would be a good way of helping Chinese students take a degree back to their parents.

Sun's lawyer Val Nisbet said he intended to ask for a discharge without conviction for Sun at sentencing.

- NZPA