A Philippine national was arrested on federal charges alleging he ran a large-scale marriage fraud scheme that arranged hundreds of sham marriages used to circumvent immigration laws.
Foreign national clients and citizen spouses pose for photos in weddings the feds say are shams designed exclusively to manipulate immigration law and acquire green cards for cash. LOS ANGELES — A Philippine national living in Los Angeles was arrested Thursday on federal charges alleging he ran a large-scale marriage fraud scheme that arranged hundreds of sham marriages used to circumvent immigration laws.
“We believe their alleged scheme broke immigration laws that are in place to protect public safety and created a disadvantage for those seeking to earn their citizenship lawfully,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the Boston office of the FBI. “This case should serve as a warning to others that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are united in our efforts to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises that seek to circumvent our laws by fraudulent means.
After pairing foreign national clients with citizen spouses, Benitez and his staff allegedly staged fake wedding ceremonies at chapels, parks and other locations, performed by hired online officiants. For many clients, the agency would take photos of undocumented clients and citizen spouses in front of prop wedding decorations for later submission with immigration petitions, according to prosecutors.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Los Angeles, California job with University of Southern California CCMB Dechen Lin LabWe are seeking 2 highly motivated postdoctoral fellows with background in either bioinformatics, cancer biology, epigenomics, immunology, or metabolism to join our NIH-funded laboratory at Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California.
Read more »
Another storm expected to hit Southern CaliforniaAngelenos are bracing for more potentially damaging wet weather as another storm is expected to move into the region beginning Sunday evening. Southern California under a 'flood watch'
Read more »
How much rain to expect as another storm hits Southern CaliforniaA flash flood warning was issued for parts of LA County including West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Malibu until 6 p.m. on Monday.
Read more »
As rain pelts soggy Southern California, residents are urged to stay vigilant for mudslidesAuthorities, fearing the effect of additional rain on hillsides and creek beds already saturated by a massive storm earlier this month, issued flash flood warnings for a swath of L.A. from Malibu to Griffith Park as well as portions of the San Fernando Valley.
Read more »
When does the Southern California rain forecast say this storm will end?Anyone living in southeast L.A. and northeast Orange counties should prepare to hunker down.
Read more »
San Diego County in store for less rain than most of Southern CaliforniaExpected rainfall totals for Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon are 0.5 to 1.3 inches for San Diego County.
Read more »