Freshman arrested
Noah Cohen
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: News
Trooper Danea Alston said investigators were made aware of the searches Qiu allegedly made because the Governor's name automatically raised "red flags" with PennDOT.
PennDOT then asked the state police to investigate, leading to Qiu's arrest.
For Qiu, the impact of his crimes on his family and employers weighs heavily on him.
He described sitting in a holding cell for 18 hours trying to figure out how to explain his arrest to his boss at the auto tag store. When he returned to the store, he was overwhelmed with the support of his employers.
"It just made me sick because I didn't deserve any of that [the support]," he said.
Qiu said he was concerned because his family business had been shut down as a result of his actions.
Officials at PennDOT would not confirm or deny any details and refused any comments on the case.
"My second fear is that this whole thing might affect Drexel," Qiu said, referring to his enrollment at the University.
Qiu said no officials from Drexel have contacted him, and he said he hopes to stay in school.
University spokeswoman Niki Gianakaris declined to comment on any possible disciplinary action against Qiu, citing federal privacy laws. Gianakaris did confirm that Qiu is a freshman enrolled in the mechanical engineering program.
Qiu posted bail Jan. 19 and will face a preliminary hearing Jan. 25, according to court records.
PennDOT then asked the state police to investigate, leading to Qiu's arrest.
For Qiu, the impact of his crimes on his family and employers weighs heavily on him.
He described sitting in a holding cell for 18 hours trying to figure out how to explain his arrest to his boss at the auto tag store. When he returned to the store, he was overwhelmed with the support of his employers.
"It just made me sick because I didn't deserve any of that [the support]," he said.
Qiu said he was concerned because his family business had been shut down as a result of his actions.
Officials at PennDOT would not confirm or deny any details and refused any comments on the case.
"My second fear is that this whole thing might affect Drexel," Qiu said, referring to his enrollment at the University.
Qiu said no officials from Drexel have contacted him, and he said he hopes to stay in school.
University spokeswoman Niki Gianakaris declined to comment on any possible disciplinary action against Qiu, citing federal privacy laws. Gianakaris did confirm that Qiu is a freshman enrolled in the mechanical engineering program.
Qiu posted bail Jan. 19 and will face a preliminary hearing Jan. 25, according to court records.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Jeffrey A. Haines
posted 1/27/08 @ 11:40 PM EST
It would be incredibly stupid to try to steal the identity of a celebrity anyway... It sounds like he honestly just made a mistake. I don't doubt that the Philadelphia media is blowing this way out of proportion--the TV networks in the city love to sensationalize. (Continued…)
Molly
posted 1/29/08 @ 4:33 PM EST
He's just a freshman and made a mistake. To be charged with 6 felonies for using a search tool on a computer at work that he had a right to have access to is ridiculous. (Continued…)
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