by Cory Cruz
Staff Writer
and
Jennifer Phillips
Staff Writer
A University of La Verne sophomore has pleaded no contest and been sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years probation for credit card fraud that victimized at least three University of La Verne students. Wesley Tong was arrested Friday, Oct. 6, in his dorm room at the Oaks following an undercover police investigation on the ULV campus.
For the last two weeks, undercover detectives have been asking students and staff at the University to identify an unknown person in photographs obtained through surveillance cameras at an automatic teller machine.
“I was shocked when a detective pulled me out of class to question me about a credit card scam,” said junior Rich Quesada.
“I received a statement in my mailbox regarding a $1,200 bill on a credit card that I didn’t have. I wasn’t concerned at the time until Detective Steve Kirk of the LVPD informed me about the other scams on campus,” said Quesada.
Sophomore Jennifer Pashone and alumnus Paul Thomas, who is currently out of the country, were also among Tong’s alleged victims.
Pashone had no comment when contacted by the Campus Times.
Derek Vergara, director of housing and residential life, said, “Wesley Tong has been canceled from housing, and his personal belongings have been removed by staff.”
Cory Cruz