A court in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania on March 24 dropped one of 10 charges filed against a Ukrainian man who had posed as an American high school student.
The charge of identity theft was dropped after the court determined that Artur Samarin, 23, didn't actually steal the American name he used, Asher Potts, from anyone living in the United States.
The court let stand other charges against Samarin, however, including statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors, for his having sex with an underage girl while attending a Pennsylvania high school.
In a brief exchange with reporters outside the court, Samarin apologized to his mother in Ukraine and said he came to the United States because "I just want to have a better life."
Samarin has been held in jail because he has been unable to post bail.