التخطي إلى المحتوى الرئيسي

California man pleads guilty in large-scale sham marriage scheme to evade immigration laws

A California man has pleaded guilty to arranging hundreds of sham marriages in an effort to circumvent immigration laws, federal prosecutors said.

Marcialito Biol Benitez, a 49-year-old Philippine national living in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10.

A lawyer for Benitez said his client was declining to comment.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS DECRY NEWSOM’S NEW GUN CONTROL LAWS AS POINTLESS, INEFFECTIVE

In a statement, the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston said Benitez operated a large-scale marriage fraud agency in which he arranged marriages between foreign nationals and American citizens. Federal prosecutors alleged the agency charged fees between $20,000 to $35,000 to submit false paperwork substantiating the sham marriages. Operated out of an office in Los Angeles, prosecutors alleged that Benitez had his staff recruit American citizens for the marriages and submitted fraudulent marriage and immigration documents including false tax returns.

After matching the couples, the agency would stage fake weddings at chapels, parks and other locations. Authorities alleged he helped 600 clients between October 2016 and March 2022, prosecutors said.

Benitez is the seventh defendant to plead guilty in this case.



source https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-man-pleads-guilty-large-scale-sham-marriage-scheme-evade-immigration-laws

تعليقات

إرسال تعليق

المشاركات الشائعة من هذه المدونة

Mexican woman in US illegally charged with faking her own ICE ‘kidnapping’

A Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles was charged with orchestrating her own fake ICE "kidnapping" to generate sympathy and solicit donations, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles , was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said. Calderon had been living in the U.S. based on a federal law enforcement parole that expired in 2023. She is in federal custody after she allegedly faked her kidnapping. This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderon’s "loved ones and attorneys," who claimed she had been "kidnapped" by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25. TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES 'SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES' FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS The outlet reported that a woman identified as an attorney named Stephano Medina claimed Calderon was cornered in a Jack in the Box p...
إرسال تعليق
قراءة المزيد

Jim Gaffigan says comedy audiences are tired of political drama and just want to laugh again

Comedian Jim Gaffigan revealed in an interview why he's mostly steering clear of politics in his stand-up material these days. Gaffigan told Variety that comedy fans don’t attend stand-up shows to hear lectures. They go to escape the real world and simply laugh at silly jokes. When the interviewer mentioned the recent crossover between comedy and politics, Gaffigan responded, "People are coming to a show to have a break from some of this drama. That’s not to say there aren’t great comedians who talk about social commentary. The spirit of George Carlin is very important."  And he recalled his political jokes after President Donald Trump's first election victory in 2016 not landing how he'd imagined. COMEDIAN DUSTY SLAY REVEALS HOW FAITH AND SOBRIETY PAVED THE ROAD TO HIS STAND-UP SUCCESS "I remember when Trump was first elected, and my opening act had some political jokes. During 2016 and 2017, the audience would kind of look at the ceiling. The jokes...
إرسال تعليق
قراءة المزيد

Prosecutors present final witness tying Ryan Routh to Trump's golf club and gun purchase

Prosecutors on Friday presented their final witness in the federal trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club on Sept. 15, 2024. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kimberly McGreevy testified about financial records, phone data, license plate readers and surveillance evidence that traced Routh’s movements from Hawaii to Florida ahead of the assassination attempt. McGreevy read aloud a handwritten note Routh allegedly left in a box at Lazaro Plata’s home in Greensboro, North Carolina. The note began: "Dear World, .. This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I am so sorry I failed you... it’s up to you now to complete the job." The letter also mentioned a $150,000 reward. McGreevy testified that bank transfers showed Routh had the money to pay that sum. PROSECUTORS TO REST CASE IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT TRIAL, DEFENSE PREPS WITNESSES Jurors were shown evidence of accounts shared by Routh, ...
إرسال تعليق
قراءة المزيد