Student Guilty in Visa Case

A native of Iraq who was arrested during a federal crackdown on foreign students who overstayed their student visas has pleaded guilty to charges of immigration fraud and illegal weapons possession.

Maher Hazim Aziz, 38, became a target of the crackdown in December because he had violated the terms of his six-month student visa by dropping out of flight school, prosecutors said Monday.

Prosecutors said they would ask a judge to sentence Aziz to no more than 14 months in prison.

He will be deported after completing his sentence, Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Wheat said.

Aziz entered the United States from Canada, where he holds citizenship, in 1997 on a student visa to attend flight school in the San Diego area.

He left flight school before finishing the program and went to work at several jobs using a fraudulent immigration document and Social Security card, according to court records.

Federal agents found the fraudulent documents, along with a 9-millimeter pistol, .45-caliber handgun and 60 rounds of ammunition at his home last week during an Immigration and Naturalization Service roundup of foreign students in the San Diego area who overstayed their visas.

As an illegal immigrant, he is barred under federal law from possessing firearms.

Aziz was the only one of the nine students detained in the roundup who faces criminal charges.

Six men were either deported or allowed to leave the country voluntarily.

Two others are awaiting immigration proceedings.