Published: June 29, 2006 12:30 am      

Exchange student leaves with improved view of city

The first nine months of Nigina Khamidova’s time in Lockport weren’t exactly the greatest.

Khamidova, an exchange student from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, enjoyed school but said she didn’t get to see the local sites. She was even a victim of forgery and petit larceny at the hands of her host mother.

But within the last six weeks, things have really turned around. Khamidova, 18, moved in with P.J. Champagne, the former next-door neighbor of her first host mother. And Ranelle Boskat, who cared for Khamidova during most of the school year, took a plea deal last week.

“(Boskat) has given this town a bad name,” Champagne said. “Unfortunately, she made a promise she didn't follow through on.”

Boskat was charged May 31 with two counts each of second-degree forgery and petit larceny. Lt. Scott Seekins said the woman allegedly endorsed Khamidova’s allowance checks for $287.17 and $375 and didn’t give her the money.

The stipends were supplied to the student through a grant. Khamidova came to the United States through the Future Leader Exchange Program with the help of California-based AYUSA International.

The stolen checks came to light after one day when Khamidova was stranded at Lockport High School for five hours. The student said it wasn’t unusual for her to have trouble getting to and from school; Khamidova and the Boskats moved to North Tonawanda during the school year and she had to be driven to school each day.

After a call from Boskat, Champagne dropped by and got Khamidova that night. The neighbor learned that Khamidova had not seen any of the local sights during her months-long stay with the Boskats.

Champagne was incensed that Khamidova wasn’t getting the most out of her time in America. A few days later, she spoke to AYUSA and Khamidova came to live with her. She later revealed that she had only seen one of her pocket money checks during her entire time in the United States.

Although Khamidova is a fairly shy woman, she said she asked Boskat about the checks several times. She was reportedly told that the checks never came. Without a contact number for a student exchange group or for the Uzbekistan embassy, Khamidova wasn’t sure who to tell about the checks.

While Khamidova settled into a new routine at Champagne’s house, Seekins worked with prosecutors to get Boskat’s case processed. The District Attorney's office even made a motion to City Court Judge William Watson to hold a hearing where Khamidova could testify against Boskat.

But Khamidova didn’t need to go that far. Under the guidance of defense attorney James Perry, Boskat took a plea deal.

“The plea satisfies the case,” Seekins said. “This is probably the best resolution we could get. These things could drag on forever.”

Boskat is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 30. Seekins said she probably will be expected to pay back AYUSA for the money she stole. After some prodding by Champagne, the exchange group sent a check for more than $900 to cover the money taken by Boskat.

Things have been looking up for Khamidova ever since. She and Champagne’s family have spent time trying different foods, shopping for clothes and presents for her family and visiting the county’s sites. Khamidova went to the prom with friends last week and went through a graduation ceremony with her fellow seniors.

“It was something new,” Khamidova said. “At home, they don’t have a cap and gown (ceremony).”

Khamidova spent her last days stateside shopping and having laughs with Champagne. The two now have an ongoing joke about a pair of oversize flip-flops that Khamidova was given to wear when she arrived in New York. Champagne said she has put them in a Lucite box and they will become part of what Khamidova calls “the sisterhood of the traveling flip-flops.”

“She has taken something very negative and turned it into something positive,” Champagne said.

Khamidova left Lockport on Tuesday. After a brief stop in Washington, D.C., she boarded a 28-hour flight back home. She will return to Tashkent with highlights in her hair, American clothes on her back and many stories to tell.

Champagne said the student’s opinions of Lockport have changed for the better in the last few weeks, in part because of the people she met.

“(Khamidova) would like to thank the people of Lockport,” Champagne said. “A lot of people contacted her and apologized for the actions of Ranelle.”

Contact Tasha Kates at 439-9222, Ext. 6241.