A 32-year-old fugitive who faked his background to enter Princeton University was sentenced to nine months in prison for swindling the Ivy League school out of $22,000 in scholarships.
State Superior Court Judge Paulette Sapp-Peterson told James Arthur Hogue that his sentence was harsh because he had been "given enough breaks."Prosecutors had dropped charges of forgery and falsifying records against Hogue in exchange for a guilty plea to theft by deception.
In addition to the prison time, Hogue was ordered Friday to repay most of $22,000 he accepted in scholarship money from the university. He remained free on bail pending a review of his sentence Monday by an appeals court.
Authorities said Hogue entered Princeton in 1989 under the name Alexi Indris-Santana. He claimed he grew up in a commune and never attended school but was self-educated and employed on a Utah ranch.
He was enrolled based on test scores and a "unique and impressive life story," said Fred Hargadon, who became the school's dean of admissions after Hogue was admitted.
As Indris-Santana, Hogue claimed to be 20 years old when he was arrested in class in February 1991 on a warrant from Utah. He had served six months in jail in Utah for stealing bicycles and was wanted on a parole violation.