The 29-year-old afterwards enrolled at the adjacent New Brunswick High School and posed as a student there for nearly an entire school week, an act that landed her in grand jury indictment and was described as "quite odd" by her own attorneys. It "may be difficult for people to understand," attorney Darren M. Gelber tells the New York Times.
Shin pleaded not guilty in court on Monday to charges of presenting a fake document and delaying her own prosecution stemming from allegations that she forged a birth certificate in order to pull off her 21 Jump Street plot. As a student at New Brunswick High for four days in January, Shin pretended to be 16 while attending classes, meeting with guidance counselors, and interacting with peers. Other students who claim Shin approached them off-campus were suspicious that she was engaging in illicit activity. However, the New York Post reports that her lawyers have explained that the real motivation was considerably less sinister: she was "just lonely" and wanted to recreate the feeling of protection she had when she attended boarding school as a child.
A 2022 landlord lawsuit revealed that Shin owed almost $20,000 in past rent after a "bitter divorce," as described by one of her attorneys. Gelber claims that his client recognizes her error. "No one or any student was in danger at any moment," he assures ABC7. The Times explains that New Jersey law requires schools to allow youngsters to attend school provisionally without valid documents, giving families 30 days to provide the required paperwork.
Shin's counsel claim that once her legal issues in the United States are settled, Shin will return to South Korea. According to reports, she plans to apply to a pretrial intervention program that expunges criminal records for first-time offenders upon successful completion of probation. On May 15, Shin will appear in court again.
