Exchange student claims she was target of fraud

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June 14, 2006

By Tasha Kates / katest@gnnewspaper.com The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Wed Jun 14, 2006, 01:33 AM EDT

A variety of sights, sounds and cultural differences await any young exchange student daring enough to see a world different from their own.

But the experiences abroad for the wide-eyed sometimes include an unexpected brush with crime. Police say one exchange student who spent her senior year at Lockport High School was one of those unlucky ones, a victim of fraud at the hands of her host mother.

The 18-year-old girl from Uzbekistan, who asked not to be named, lived with former Lockport resident Ranelle M. Boskat from September through May. When she was switched to a new host family, the student revealed that she had not received any of her allowance checks since the beginning of her stay.

After an investigation, Boskat, 28, 33 Central Lane, Apt. A, North Tonawanda, was charged May 31 with two counts each of second-degree forgery and petit larceny. Lt. Scott Seekins said the woman allegedly endorsed the checks for $287.17 and $375 and didn’t give the money to her student.

“It appears that the checks were intercepted at the host family’s post office box, the victim’s signature was forged, then Ranelle cashed the checks against her own account,” Seekins said. “This money was not supposed to be for the house, bills or food. This was her money.”

The student came to the United States through the Future Leader Exchange Program with the help of California-based AYUSA International. Seekins said her $125 monthly stipend was sent in a lump sum check every two months. The money was supplied from a grant.

P.J. Champagne, Boskat’s former neighbor and the girl’s new host mother, said she learned Tuesday that AYUSA will be sending the girl a check for $912 to make up for the money allegedly taken by Boskat.

Seekins said this incident is a black mark against the country.

“To me, this isn’t just little old Lockport,” Seekins said. “This is a national image issue. Here she is, an exchange student in the United States and she goes home and says to her mom and dad, ‘The Americans stole my money.’”

Unfortunately, missing money wasn’t the only negative experience that the girl has been through during her stay in the United States. The soft-spoken student arrived last summer thinking she was going to spend the school year in Kentucky, but program employees couldn’t get in touch with her assigned family. The girl spent one month out of school waiting to be reassigned.

In September, she was placed in the Lockport home of Ranelle Boskat. She started attending Lockport High School after she recovered from a bad reaction to one of the shots she needed before attending school.

“I went to school,” the girl said. “I liked it. I watched the kids at home.”

Seekins said the exchange program’s handbook recommends giving exchange students chores, just as though they were one of the family. Babysitting, however, is prohibited.

Boskat declined to comment for this story.

Midway through the school year, Boskat and her children moved to North Tonawanda. The exchange student was still enrolled at Lockport High School, but wasn’t always driven to school. Seekins said she was often reported absent.

The turning point of the exchange student’s stay came on May 6, when Champagne said she received a call from Boskat asking if she would pick the girl up from the high school. Boskat had said the girl had plans with friends.

“She didn’t have plans,” Champagne said. “She was stranded at school from 2:30 until 7:30 at night.”

Champagne also learned that the girl hadn’t seen much of the country, let alone Niagara County, during her stay.

That was the last straw. Champagne called up AYUSA and arranged to have the girl transferred to her care. Two days later, the student moved in.

“P.J. asked me if I wanted to live with her and I did,” the student said.

The girl from Uzbekistan has been living her American dreams ever since. Champagne and her family redid a room for her while she was with a group of exchange students in Washington, D.C. Her new family has taken her to see the sites around the county, including Niagara Falls and Olcott, as well as to the drive-in movie theater for some flicks.

Champagne said the family has been cramming in the abroad experience within the last few weeks.

“We want to make up for all of the bad things that happened,” Champagne said. “We are doing as much as possible.”

Shopping has been a top priority for Champagne and her student. She bought her a larger suitcase to bring home American clothing, souvenirs and other items that the student enjoys. Champagne also has been providing the girl with pocket money.

“She likes the brand name clothes,” Champagne said. “We’ve been getting her shirts with ‘Gap’ and ‘Ralph Lauren’ written on them.”

The exchange student is now getting ready for the prom. Champagne said a neighbor let the girl choose a formal dress, and she picked up shoes and jewelry to match. The girl will be going with friends.

During graduation, she will receive a certificate as a temporary replacement for her diploma, which will be given to her in Uzbekistan. She plans to study international relations at the World Economy and Diplomacy University.

Overall, the girl’s stay in the States has been a mixed bag. She is from an urban center, with plenty of banks, universities, schools and forms of transportation.

“It’s different here,” she said about suburban Lockport.

While she has enjoyed spending the last month-and-a-half with P.J., the quiet student didn’t say much about her time with Boskat.

Champagne and her family have had a wonderful time with the exchange student.

“We would like her to come back,” she said. “If she ever visits, we would love to have her.”

Seekins said the case against Boskat is still under investigation. She is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Lockport City Court.

Contact Tasha Kates at 439-9222, Ext. 6241.

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