Police: Harrisburg High student assumed false identity, is actually Ukrainian national


By Julianne Mattera
on February 24, 2016 at 5:02 PM, updated February 24, 2016 at 9:59 PM
UPDATE:
'I marveled at his maturity,' former district leader says of Harrisburg student facing false identity charge
On paper, Asher Potts looks extraordinarily accomplished for an 18-year-old, with a perfect grade point average, AP courses and a record of community involvement.

A Ukrainian national who assumed a false identity and went on to enroll, and apparently excel, at Harrisburg High School, is facing multiple charges, according to police.

Harrisburg police said in a news release that the Harrisburg High student known as Asher Pottsactually is 23-year-old Artur Samarin, a Ukranian national who stayed in the U.S. after his visa expired. Police said he took on the identity of Potts.

Police arrested Samarin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, and he's been charged with theft, identity theft and tampering with public records, according to the news release.

Police said Samarin, using a false date of birth and the false identity of Potts, obtained a social security card and other United States documents.

When he was arrested, police said Samarin had a Pennsylvania driver's license issued under the name of Potts.

Potts, apparently, did well during his time at Harrisburg High School. He was recently one of the youth panelists on a town hall forum to discuss violence, and he was a member of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank's inaugural Junior Advisory Council. According to ABC27, Potts was a member of the ROTC and Naval Sea Cadet program.

State Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, also tweeted about Potts in May 2014, stating that Samarin had a 4.16 grade point average and was a new member of the National Honor Society.

However, a PennLive reporter who visited Harrisburg High School following dismissal Wednesday was unable to glean more from students, who either declined to comment or said they didn't know Samarin.

Harrisburg School District Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney confirmed Samarin's arrest earlier Wednesday, and she said she was told that he had been arrested at his home.

But Knight-Burney declined to provide further details as she said discussing information about any student would be a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Kirsten Keys, district spokeswoman, in a district news release issued Wednesday afternoon, said the district didn't know "all of the details surrounding the arrest."

"We are treating this as a serious matter," Keys said in the release. "At this time, the investigation is in the hands of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. The district will continue to cooperate fully with the police department as they move forward with their investigation."

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Paula Trovy at (717) 255-3158, Sgt. Terry Wealand at (717) 255-3115 or the Dauphin County police dispatch at (717) 558-6900 and ask for a detective.

Asher Potts, #HBG HS soph with a 4.16 GPA in ROTC is a new member of the Nat'l Honor Society. #goingplaces #proud









http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/02...h_student.html