Ukrainian man who allegedly posed as high school student denied lower bail

A 23-year-old Ukrainian man accused of pretending to be a Pennsylvania high school student was denied lower bail on Tuesday, reports said.

According to PennLive, Artur Samarin was due in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing and a bail reduction hearing. Samarin waived his preliminary hearing in exchange for prosecutors withdrawing charges of identity theft and conspiracy to commit identity theft. Dauphin County Judge Deborah E. Curcillo, who oversaw the bail reduction hearing, chose not to lower his $240,000 bail.

Additionally, prosecutors agreed to not charge Samarin, who is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old, with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, NBC10 reported.

“There aren’t any facts here that would justify bail of nearly a quarter-million dollars,” Samarin’s attorney Clarke Madden told NBC10. The defense is arguing for a lowered bail that would reportedly allow Samarin to be transferred to federal immigration lockup in York.

Samarin was originally arrested in late February when police claimed the Ukrainian national had faked a new identity and pretended to be a student at Harrisburg High Schoolafter his visa expired, CBS Newsreported.

Samarin will return to court on June 14, PennLive reported.