Fraud Tracker
Tracking the latest news on immigration fraud so you don’t have to.
Human Rights Violator Sentenced for Immigration Fraud and U.S. Citizenship Revoked
A Georgia man was sentenced today to three years in prison for unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship by lying about his role in persecuting teenagers in Ethiopia in the 1970s for their political opinions. According to court documents, Mezemr Abebe Belayneh, also known as Mezmur Amare Belayneh, 68, of Snellville, unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship in 2008 by lying about and concealing that he persecuted and committed acts of violence against perceived political opponents during a period known as “the Red Terror” in Ethiopia.
Police Arrest Illegal Alien for Murder of Georgia Nursing Student; Arrest Brother for Immigration Fraud
Georgia police arrested Jose Ibarra, a 26 year-old illegal alien from Venezuela, for the murder of nursing student Laken Riley in Athens, Georgia. After Jose’s arrest, the details of his brother, Diego Ibarra, also began to surface. According to the Department of Justice, Diego is also an illegal alien from Venezuela. When encountered at the border, officials initially placed him in expedited removal proceedings, but Diego claimed asylum and was released on April 30, 2023, pending the adjudication of his asylum claim.
Two Indian-origin men indicted for staging armed robberies in a visa fraud conspiracy
Two Indian-origin men, who were arrested for staging armed robberies in a visa fraud conspiracy, have been indicted by a federal grand jury. Rambhai Patel, 36 and Balwinder Singh, 39, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to commit visa fraud in Boston, Massachusetts.
NYC immigration lawyer helped clients get legal status with phony abuse claims: feds
A Bronx immigration lawyer gamed the system for years by having clients falsely claim they were abused by their own kids to fast-track their bids for legal status, federal prosecutors said Monday. Kofi Amankwaa and his son charged immigrant clients $6,000 a head to exploit the federal Violence Against Women Act by claiming they were victims of domestic abuse, which would expedite the migrants’ bid for legal residency in the US.
Immigration Fraud Scheme Involving Fake Marriages Busted in US; Here's how it was Orchestrated
Immigration offers an option for people to look for more opportunities abroad and make a better life in another land, but it can also land them in the centre of a scam. The latest to take advantage of this desire to emigrate to the US is a 42-year-old Philippine national residing in Los Angeles, who has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston for orchestrating a large-scale marriage fraud scheme.
2 NYC men charged with staging ‘at least 8’ bogus armed robberies all over the country for immigration perks
Two New York City men staged armed robberies at convenience stores and fast food joints across the United States to scheme immigration benefits, federal prosecutors said Friday. Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, were arrested on Dec. 13 and both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud for their alleged plot, which allowed the “victims” of their robberies to apply for special immigration visas, Massachusetts prosecutors said.
Fake Robberies Allowed Fake Victims to Apply for Visas, Prosecutors Say
Two suspects were charged in a case that spans four states and highlights vulnerabilities in a federal visa program for immigrants. On first glance, a slew of eight armed robberies at mini-marts and liquor stores in four states this year appeared to be run-of-the-mill crimes. But F.B.I. agents investigating them noticed patterns that they said could suggest a more complex operation: The robberies, including at least one that involved an apparently fake gun, were staged as part of an elaborate visa-fraud scheme.
Lock Haven Man Convicted Of U Visa Fraud
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vinaykumar Patel, age 33, a citizen of the Republic of India, was convicted of multiple counts related to visa fraud and conspiracy following a three-day jury trial that concluded on December 6, 2023.
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Role in Immigration Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme
Shai Cohen, 39, admitted to organizing and working with others to recruit and facilitate the illegal entry of Israeli citizens into the United States under false pretenses. From approximately 2011 through December 2013, Cohen and his co-conspirators assisted noncitizens in fraudulently obtaining B-1/B-2 tourist/visitor visas by misrepresenting the true purpose of their travel to the United States, which was illegal employment.
Chicago Immigration Attorney Facing Fraud Charges Faked Job Offers and Advised Clients to Enter Sham Marriages, Prosecutors Say
A Chicago immigration attorney is accused of helping clients cheat on civics exams and fabricate job offers, as well as advising them to enter into sham marriages in order to fraudulently obtain benefits, a new federal indictment alleges. Mohammad Reza Baniassadi, who owned and operated the Chicago-based Law Offices of Reza Baniassadi, has been charged in federal court with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and five individual counts of falsifying applications for immigration benefits.
Operator of Large-Scale Marriage Fraud "Agency" Pleads Guilty
A California man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to running a large-scale marriage fraud “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages for the primary purpose of circumventing immigration laws. This included, among other things, obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses.
Indian Citizen Pleads Guilty To Marriage Fraud Charge
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Vikrant Chauhan, 35, a citizen of India living in Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Court overturns child molestation conviction and 125-year sentence over victim’s visa issue
A California appeals court overturned a Santa Rosa man’s child-molesting convictions and 125-year prison sentence Wednesday because jurors were never told that one of his alleged victims was trying to help her mother obtain a U visa.
Essex County Mother and Son Admit Roles in Scheme to Harbor Non-U.S. Citizens Through Marriage Fraud
From September 2016 through March 2021, Andrea Torres and her sister, Regina Johnson, arranged and facilitated sham marriages for non-U.S. citizens who wished to remain in the United States despite the lack of legal status or proper documentation. Andrea Torres and Johnson recruited U.S. citizen potential spouses and paid them a fee in exchange for those U.S. citizens entering into sham marriages with Andrea Torres’ and Johnson’s non-citizen clients.
N.J. woman admits arranging sham marriages in citizenship scheme
Regina Johnson, 59, of Newark, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to harbor non-U.S. citizens by orchestrating fraudulent marriages between the non-citizens and U.S. citizens, according to a joint statement from the US Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations Newark.
Foreign National Charged for Visa Fraud Scheme
An indictment charging an Israeli national with leading a visa fraud scheme to facilitate the illegal entry and employment of noncitizens in the United States was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia. According to court documents, Shai Cohen, 39, allegedly organized, led, and worked with others to recruit and facilitate the illegal entry of Israeli citizens into the United States under false pretenses
2 admit involvement in staged Pa. robbery in scheme to secure visas
Two of the four natives of India accused in a scheme to fraudulently obtain U non-immigrant visas by staging fake robberies have pleaded guilty. Rohitkumar Patel, 29, of Newark, New Jersey, and Jeel Patel, 22, of Baltimore, entered their pleas Wednesday in U.S. Middle District Court to a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud and make false statements about visa and healthcare matters.
Supreme Court rejects Texas and Louisiana challenge to Biden deportation priorities
The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 ruling, revived the Biden administration’s immigration guidelines that prioritize which noncitizens to deport, dismissing a challenge from two Republican state attorneys general who argued the policies conflicted with immigration law.
Ex-Airman Asked 93 Women to Marry Him to Get More Benefits, Feds Say
A former airman was indicted and accused by federal officials of wire fraud after contacting nearly 100 women in an alleged scheme to get more military benefits. A month after his divorce, around April 2017, Green “sent messages to at least 93 women, via text message and mobile applications, soliciting marriage in exchange for payment,” according to the federal documents.
Arizona man who lied about Bosnian War role found guilty of immigration fraud
An Arizona man was recently found guilty of lying about his participation in the Bosnian War while trying to become a U.S. citizen, authorities said. A federal grand jury convicted Sinisa Djurdjic, on charges of visa fraud and attempted unlawful procurement of citizenship on May 19, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release.