Lopez Munongo Makengo, age 36, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was found guilty by a jury on July 31 after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Makengo was convicted of unlawful possession and unlawful use of identification documents following approximately seven hours of jury deliberations.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Makengo entered the Diversity Visa lottery in 2014 and immigrated to the United States in 2016 after being granted a Diversity Visa. In 2017, he petitioned for relatives to join him in the United States, including a child born in 2013. During an investigation into child abuse and neglect allegations by the Sioux City Police Department in 2022, officials from the Department of State discovered that Makengo had made a false statement on his Diversity Visa application. Specifically, he failed to disclose having a child between 2014 and 2016, despite swearing under oath at the U.S. Embassy in his home country that his application was true and correct. However, on his subsequent petition for relatives filed in 2017, he admitted to having a child born in 2013.
Sentencing will be scheduled before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand after preparation of a presentence report. Makengo remains free on bond pending sentencing and faces up to five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any prison term.
The case is being investigated by the United States Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service and Sioux City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons, Shawn Wehde, and Tim Vavricek are prosecuting this case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative involving resources from the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and related crimes. On April 7, the Department announced creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division with “the core mission…to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.” The department said these efforts support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa advocates for over one million residents across more than fifty counties covering over twenty-five thousand square miles; it is part of the U.S. Department of Justice with about sixty employees—including more than twenty assistant attorneys—and prosecutes federal crimes as well as manages civil litigation for government interests, according to the official website.