St. John's ex-dean secures $1.5-million bond

Cecilia Chang, the former dean at St. John's University charged with forcing scholarship students to act as her personal servants, made bail and was released from federal custody in federal court in Brooklyn late Friday.

Chang, 57, a former 30-year St. John's employee and major fundraiser who lives in a $1.7-million Jamaica Estates mansion, also faces state charges that she embezzled $1 million from St. John's. She was released from federal custody after finding co-signers willing to post property to secure a $1.5-million bond.

The federal charges, announced Thursday, say Chang controlled 15 scholarships for foreign students - mainly Asian students. She made them cook, clean her house, take out the garbage, shovel snow and chauffeur her if they wanted to keep their scholarships. She is accused of violating federal forced-labor and bribe-taking laws.

Chang has not yet entered a plea to the federal charges and declined comment on her way out of court Friday.

The onetime vice president and dean of Asian studies at the university was charged last month by state prosecutors in Queens with diverting donations - including a $250,000 gift from a Saudi prince - into personal accounts and charging thousands in personal bils to her expense account.

Chang was suspended by St. John's in January and fired in June.