Miami INS Official Indicted in Marriage Fraud Scheme
Posted Mar 14, 2003

In the past few months, investigators have unearthed several fraud rings at U.S. consulates. One such scheme was reported in our February 14, 2002 MurthyBulletin article, Nuevo Laredo Consulate Closed : 3 Charged with Fraud, available on MurthyDotCom. Now, a Miami INS Official and a paralegal from the Miami area have been indicted in a fraudulent marriage ploy. For a payment of $4000 or more, the paralegal allegedly served as matchmaker to arrange marriages for immigration benefits. The paralegal would provide the couples with fake documents to support the marriage claim. According to the indictment, the INS official would meet with the couple at the paralegal's home and, for a payment of $3000 or more, ensure the case was successful at INS.

Police who raided the INS official's home found checks totaling more than $200,000. The official reportedly earned $50,000 per year as an employee of the INS. More than 500 marriage cases since 1999, with which this official had been involved, are being reviewed by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (or BCIS formerly, INS) to ensure their validity. In cases of clear fraud, it is possible to take an action to rescind the grant of permanent residence. The need for a marriage to be bona fide in order for one to obtain a green card through a spousal petition is clearly outlined in our MurthyDotCom article, Immigration Rumor : Love - Not Sufficient Alone for Getting Green Card, posted April 26, 2002.

Advice to Readers

In this new era of high security, employees involved in immigration services are under close scrutiny. Still, poised at the ready, con artists will circumvent the law to take advantage of those desperate to stay in the U.S. We always advise our clients to avoid taking part in such wrongdoing and be on the lookout for unscrupulous individuals who would perpetrate these plans. It may not always be clear on which side of the law they operate. Ultimately, however, involvement will harm the unwitting victim or desperate immigrant lured by a temporary illusion of relief.

We encourage our readers to beware any too-good-to-be-true programs, for they are usually just that. It is advisable that anyone seeking immigration benefits consult with a reputable attorney regarding the legal means to obtain admission to the U.S. and lawful status here. Question anything that appears to be out of the ordinary or not completely legitimate.