19 people have been charged with visa fraud though fake green card marriages and claims of being victims of crime, of which 14 are Indians. Gregory K Davis - Federal prosecutor, had earlier stated on Thursday that the accused were wrong in trying to undermine the integrity of the U.S. immigration system; the accused from 8 states have been charged with Visa Fraud in federal court in Jackson, Mississippi. The accused were charged after a joint investigation by the FBI, Homeland Security investigations and the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, which led them to the accused. Federal prosecutor Davis further added that the defendants tried to bypass the laws and submitted fake documents which were critical to get an immigration status. The prosecutor’s office stated that a lawyer by the name Simpson Lloyd Goodman had represented the accused and submitted fake documents for U-Visa applications that are reserved for victims of crime who help the government with their investigations or prosecutions.
A Jackson Police officer – Ivory Lee Harris has been charged for preparing these false documents. 9 out of 11 people charged for faking the victim visa case were Indians and could also include the names of people who have a US citizenship. 7 names of 11 people charged for faking marriages for a green card with US citizens were Indian names. The prosecutor’s office concluded that these marriages were not a result of love and affection between the couples but arose out of a need to create a legal status that would allow them to immigrate to the US and claim the economic benefits arising out of a US citizenship.
Lawyer Goodman and his clients Sachin Girishkumar Patel (33, Mississippi), and Tarunkumar Purushottambhai Patel (49, Missouri) are charged for faking marriages and faking applications for U-Visa. Three people in addition to 5 Indians are charged only for faking green cared marriages.
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