CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Adam Wheeler, 23, of Milton, Del., a former Harvard student charged with 20 counts of larceny, identity fraud and pretending to hold a degree, was arraigned Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court, pleading not guilty to charges he faked his credentials to get into the prestigious Ivy League college.

"He has lived a life of lies and deceit," a state prosecutor told the judge, asking for $10,000 bail for Wheeler.

The magistrate ordered Wheeler held on $5,000 bail on the conditions he stay away from Harvard University, MIT, Brown University, Yale University, Phillips Academy in Andover, and McLean Hospital. He must also turn in his passport.

Meanwhile, Harvard University students and faculty are trying to understand how a student arrested and charged with fraud managed to fake his academic credentials, winning $45,000 in financial aid, grants and scholarships.

"The crux of these offenses are identity theft, fraud, larceny and falsification of documents," said Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone, announcing Wheeler's arrest Monday.

Wheeler, who was admitted to one of America's most prestigious universities in 2007, was a senior close to getting his degree when Harvard begin investigating his work and his credentials.

The Delaware man was applying for Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships using materials that one Harvard professor thought were suspiciously similar to another professor's work.

The university launched an internal investigation and then confronted Wheeler with allegations, informing him that a disciplinary hearing would be held, prosecutors said at the arraignment. Wheeler allegedly told them he would be leaving Harvard and would await their decision from home, at which point, state prosecutors said, Wheeler began to try to get into Yale and Brown universities.

State prosecutors said Wheeler only stopped because Yale called his home and his parents discovered what was going on. He was then arrested by Delaware authorities May 10.

At Harvard, students were upset because the scam reflected poorly on their school.

"I think a lot of people would agree with the actions taken by the university or by, I guess, the district attorney, to take some punishment against this particular individual. Because it really harms the reputation of the school," student Wes Hopkin said.

"They have a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism. It's very well understood that if you plagiarize for an assignment or anything at all for a class that you will be in trouble for it," student Collin Jones said.

Among some of the charges, Wheeler is accused of lying on entrance applications, providing false SAT scores, fake MIT grades and submitting a phony diploma from Phillips Andover Academy. He was also charged with falsifying professors' recommendations and transcripts, and plagiarizing academic papers.

"I think it's a horrible example that he's setting. I mean, I think that most of the students that have gotten into Harvard have done it on their own merit and have worked very hard to be here," said graduate student Ben Supple.

Wheeler did attend Bowdoin College in Maine for two years before being suspended for academic dishonesty, at which point he transferred to Harvard.

Harvard was not answering any questions about the arrest, referring all inquiries to the district attorney, but the school did say it would be changing its application process.

Wheeler's next court date was set for June 9 for a pre-trial conference.