Marriage Fraud (nationality, citizens, USA, business)

[Fenk]

Hi Chica-Bella, the story doesn't seem to be adding up. I'm currently in the same situation and trust me there is always two sides. I just found out through a social networking site that my husband was actually using me to get his green card. He not only cheated with one women but many, and told all of them he doesn't live at home, when he comes home everyday, and on the nights that he is out, he makes up lame excuses about hanging out with his friends and being too drunk drive home. We have a child together and he thretens to take the child away to his home country Jamaica if I ever try to divorce him. If you've never seen where he lives I guarantee its still with the wife. After years of physical, mental and emotional abuse, I finally decided to leave him after finding out some really sick things he was into and doing behind my back. I'm currently going through the process of divorce despite his threats. I advise your friend to stay away but quite honestly she probably won't. The one my husband is currently with cant see past the love she has for him to the truth which is sad but, it's like they say love is blind. She will probably get hurt in the grand scheme of things because she is also just being used whether its for sex, money, which my husband has admitted to of just companionship.

[aliss2]

So, did she actually meet this woman and talk to her about it? Or is she just trusting the advice of a married man? I think if you actually talked to his wife, you'd find her story more like Fenk's than whatever this man is saying.

[Phil306]

Originally Posted by chica_bella813

I have a friend who is dating a man in a fraudulent marriage. He married another woman to become an American citizen and it has been granted. I want to know could my friend be held liable for knowing about the fake marriage and still dating this man?

It breaks my heart because she recently found out he still has communication with the fake wife and doesnt appear to want to divorce anytime soon, although the fake wife wants out because she feels used.

I am also disheartened about how lax he is about defrauding the U.S. he has said that he and the fake wife have all their paper work together and no one can disprove him . It pisses me off to see someone use our system to get benefits so they can take our money to their country on top of seeing my girlfriend in tears for this jerk. She has been waiting for him to divorce the fake wife which he promises but doesnt appear that is going to happen.

The fake married couple do not live together, and wife doesn't know where he lives. A mess...

Should she keep her mouth shut and just walk away?? He was not aware of the penalties and how they are severe for marriage fraud. Could she be charged for knowing this info and not saying anything. I told her to just dump him and walk away and not report anything unless you have concrete proof. But 2 lives would be in jeoparady..the fake wife and the immigrant, they could both face prison time right??

I realize this is an old thread, however, a lot of bad legal advice has been handed out on it. This woman knows a fraudulent marriage took place, which is a federal felony. Her failure to act or inform the authorities is a felony too; its called being an accessory to the crime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessory_(legal_term)

"A person with such knowledge may become an accessory by helping or encouraging the criminal in some way, or simply by failing to report the crime to proper authority."

It would be no different if your next door neighbor robbed a bank and told you about it and you kept your mouth shut. You could also be arrested as an accessory for failing to inform the proper authorities.

I suggest your friend contact an attorney who specializes in these things and not random advice on the internet.

[Sabinerose]

So, my question is...Is it too late to report anything? This marriage happened years ago...the man involved has since become a US citizen. This isn't something that's happening now...it's long over.

Would anything actually get done legally about this? Would the immigration office go back 7ish years to look back over a marriage they already looked over and approved? Could his citizenship be taken away at this point?

No matter what happens with him...your friend needs to stay away from him. He sounds like bad news all around.

[ladyvictoria]

Originally Posted by Sabinerose

Would anything actually get done legally about this? Would the immigration office go back 7ish years to look back over a marriage they already looked over and approved? Could his citizenship be taken away at this point?.

Answer to all your questions is NO. Uscis does not have an authority to denaturalize someone. Only federal courts do that and they only do it in the most extreme cases. Circumstances of his legal residency would have been reviewed at the time of his naturalization since it is easier to take someone's legal status before he becomes a citizen (even that is a long shot). I also think this is a very weird story. Usually in fraudulent marriages people stay together no more than it is necessary to obtain a permanent resident card which is 2-3 years. If he is already naturalized and still married something else is going on here.

[bentlebee]

If he gets caught he will lose his citizenship or possibility to get it.

I also heard of someone committing fraud and shortly after the wedding blaming the husband of violence so the divorce was granted and she could stay in the country and get citizenship due to be a victim of violence....some woman are smart in how to scam and with word of mouth in these Eastern Block countries, more woman will come here and do the same thing.

[franklin_mac]

Originally Posted by bentlebee

If he gets caught he will lose his citizenship or possibility to get it.

It can't be that easy, though, the process of stripping someone's citizenship. Don't think it's even worth the hassle for them if we're not dealing with a straight up criminal.

[scaramouchebluez]

Could be a lie, he could just be making up a fakegirl friend immigrant to avoid marrying or committing to the current gf. I think she should just walk away. The guy is a criminal, the wife if real is likely a criminal. If she gets investigated it can get messy for everyone. You never who is going to whack and kill who when the government starts investigating them. Maybe the girl rats him out, he gets a visit and can keep his cover and gets away with it. And then maybe he or the fake wife decide its time to kill the girlfriend who knows too much and hey, maybe you in the wrong place wrong time and both of you get whacked.

I'd just avoid it, messing up another man's relation is asking for trouble, and if he is already a criminal and doesn't care that he is going against the government, he'll probably have no problem shooting someone who is trying to get him jail time.

My advice, cut off all contact with those people. You do not want anything to do with it when they start killing each other.

[BECLAZONE]

Sounds like an anonymous note needs to be dropped to the immigration department.

[fergy15]

Love on-line/off-line

Phrase “We met on the internet” more often replaces the familiar “Our friends have acquainted us”, “or” We met at work.” Growing circulation of the Internet space absorbs real life. The simple human emotions such as love, friendship, hate, joy are not exceptions: All these we carry on “our” pages in personal diaries, blogs or social networks. And it seems so good: technical progress, simplified methods of communication, easy getting of all kinds of information, meeting new people with no state or language borders. So in the depths of our life it happens that at one moment the man – foreigner finds beauty-Slav. Then one thing led to another, a few sleepless nights at the computer and she is ready to leave her native country and come to the foreign land to her sweetheart But there is one thing: the realities of life in Ukraine are so special (for example wide- known poverty of residents), That’s why all costs for such trips must be covered only by the receiving side – a foreigner. After all what could be easier for a foreigner to send a particular amount for the ticket of his beloved and make shorter the long-waited moment of the meeting? And here is where the fun begins: the money is sent by bank transfer, obtained by Ukrainian girl, a man is in anticipation of the arriving lady, but then she suddenly disappears (she is no longer responding to messages, phone calls, and even turns off the phone). Of course, only after several days of unsuccessful efforts to contact her man realizes that he is simply used, but rather used his wallet and naivety.

This situation is typical for our country and other countries of the former Soviet Union for several years, but the paradox is that foreigners still fall for the tricks of the so-called “beauty- swindler.” And why not: the police often does not respond to the statements of foreign citizens in similar situations, considering it a “civil dispute” and that finishes the criminal investigation. Although, if you dig a little deeper, even a seemingly hopeless situation can be solved by legal means. In accordance with Article 1212 of the Civil Code, a person who acquired the property or keep it on the account of another person (the victim) without a sufficient legal basis is required to return the property to the victim. Besides person is required to return the property even when the ground on which it was acquired has disappeared.

An important issue is the fact of confirmation of money transfer by foreigner and that the lady is a real one, not a “ghost” with a fake passport which is also common in post-Soviet surrounding. That is quite possible in accordance with the legal provisions to apply to the girl with a written demand to return the money and then file a suit in the court. Certainly you need to take into consideration the fact that she could spend that money or simply she could have no property to enforce the judgment.

In any case the choice of the solution of the problem depends only on the victim or constitutes themselves as a part.