In late February, a 23-year -old Ukrainian immigrant was discovered to be posing as an 18-year-old schoolboy in a Pennsylvania high school by the name “Asher Potts.” The man, whose given name was Artur Samarin, had been going to high school for four years since he registered as a freshman in 2012 when he was 19. He is currently being charged with multiple felonies, including identity theft and tampering with public records; he is also been accused of sexual assault for an alleged sexual relationship he had with a 15-year-old student when he was 22.
Samarin came to the United States in 2012 on a work visa, which would have expired in 2013. While living in Pennsylvania, Samarin met couple Stephanye and Michael Potts, who, according to Samarin, first came up with the idea of enrolling him in high school. They took steps to adopt him and helped fake his identification papers, eventually getting him enrolled in school as a 14-year-old. Samarin was set to graduate this June, before police received an anonymous tip revealing his true age.
While in school, Samarin was an impressive student. He managed to maintain a 4.16 GPA, became a member of the National Honor Society, and juggled multiple other extracurricular activities on the side. Gene Veno, ex-Chief Recovery Officer of the school district said that Samarin was always “focused and driven” and that they “marveled at his maturity.”
When asked, Samarin said that he didn’t regret anything. He said he “spent all of [his] free time on education,” and that he wanted to work for the betterment of society. He said, in the first place, this wasn’t his own plan: it was that of his adoptive parents, but he admits to going along with it anyway. He said that “[The United States] provided me with opportunities, with limitless friends.” The Samarian case has not yet gone to court.