Pandabear
08-13-2009, 04:42 AM
http://noticias.aol.com/articulos/latino-news/_a/feds-put-end-to-honeymooners/20090812132309990002?icid=main|aimzones|dl5|link5| http%3A%2F%2Fnoticias.aol.com%2Farticulos%2Flatino-news%2F_a%2Ffeds-put-end-to-honeymooners%2F20090812132309990002
Feds put end to honeymooners
NEW YORK.- Love and commitment is not what it used to be in Ohio, where the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers uncovered several cases of illegal marriages in the last two years.
On Tuesday, 50 people were arrested, 27 of them citizens of the United States and the others mainly immigrants from eastern European countries who found their marriage partners with the helpful aid of money and drugs.
The marriages were arranged by the "organization" a criminal network based in Cincinnati but operated all over the country, matching illegal aliens with U.S. citizens for a hefty fee.
The "organization" prepared fraudulent immigration documents, coached couples for immigration interviews, and recruited U.S. citizens and foreign nationals so they could get "married", with foreign national obtain legal permanent residency here.
Federal law states that conspiracy to commit marriage fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000.
John Morton Assistant Secretary of ICE declared that "marriage fraud poses a major vulnerability that must not go unchallenged and will not be tolerated".
"We will not tolerate the exploitation of our country immigration system. Whether you are marrying one person under false pretenses or facilitate the fraud, know this, you will be found, arrested and accountable for your actions".
The arrested this week are part of a two year investigation into this type of fraud wich has mushroomed in the last few years. In 2008 the ICE made 238 criminal arrests related to marriage fraud schemes and convicted 1998 of those individuals.
Khaalid Walls of the ICE told AOL that even the agency is giving these cases a high priority as this type of fraud continues to grow.
Walls, who is taking part in in "Operation Honeymoon is Over", said that the criminal activity of the idicted individuals covers many nationalities, not just eastern Europeans.
In the case revealed Tuesday, 50 individuals were indicted for marriage fraud, with 33 of them being taken into federal custody.
Last May, the ICE arrested 10 other individuals on the same charges; two of them remain at large. And in a related case, a couple from West Africa was also detained for involvement in a similar scheme.
Walls also said that there is no danger for legitimate couples seeking residency in the United States.
"The only danger is for the indivduals who are procuring, by illegal and criminal means, to cheat the system and obtain resident papers".
The spokeman said that Operation Honymoon is Over, will continue.
Feds put end to honeymooners
NEW YORK.- Love and commitment is not what it used to be in Ohio, where the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers uncovered several cases of illegal marriages in the last two years.
On Tuesday, 50 people were arrested, 27 of them citizens of the United States and the others mainly immigrants from eastern European countries who found their marriage partners with the helpful aid of money and drugs.
The marriages were arranged by the "organization" a criminal network based in Cincinnati but operated all over the country, matching illegal aliens with U.S. citizens for a hefty fee.
The "organization" prepared fraudulent immigration documents, coached couples for immigration interviews, and recruited U.S. citizens and foreign nationals so they could get "married", with foreign national obtain legal permanent residency here.
Federal law states that conspiracy to commit marriage fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000.
John Morton Assistant Secretary of ICE declared that "marriage fraud poses a major vulnerability that must not go unchallenged and will not be tolerated".
"We will not tolerate the exploitation of our country immigration system. Whether you are marrying one person under false pretenses or facilitate the fraud, know this, you will be found, arrested and accountable for your actions".
The arrested this week are part of a two year investigation into this type of fraud wich has mushroomed in the last few years. In 2008 the ICE made 238 criminal arrests related to marriage fraud schemes and convicted 1998 of those individuals.
Khaalid Walls of the ICE told AOL that even the agency is giving these cases a high priority as this type of fraud continues to grow.
Walls, who is taking part in in "Operation Honeymoon is Over", said that the criminal activity of the idicted individuals covers many nationalities, not just eastern Europeans.
In the case revealed Tuesday, 50 individuals were indicted for marriage fraud, with 33 of them being taken into federal custody.
Last May, the ICE arrested 10 other individuals on the same charges; two of them remain at large. And in a related case, a couple from West Africa was also detained for involvement in a similar scheme.
Walls also said that there is no danger for legitimate couples seeking residency in the United States.
"The only danger is for the indivduals who are procuring, by illegal and criminal means, to cheat the system and obtain resident papers".
The spokeman said that Operation Honymoon is Over, will continue.