BOSTON - A Lynn man pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with his attempts, following an illegal entry to the United States approximately 25 years ago, to gain citizenship and remain in the country.
Princehakeem Awolesi, 48, pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining United States citizenship and a U.S. passport, and using a false Social Security number. Awolesi was arrested in August 2015 and charged with violating various federal immigration and social security laws. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 17, 2016.
In 2005, as part of his application for naturalization, Awolesi submitted a false birth certificate and made numerous false statements to the officials deciding whether he qualified for citizenship, including his use of a prior identity. Awolesi was granted citizenship in 2005 and applied for a passport the same year, again concealing his use of another identity. Later, when applying for a replacement passport, Awolesi used a social security number he had obtained by making false statements to the Social Security Administration.
As a result of the conviction on the citizenship charge, Awolesi’s United States citizenship will be revoked.
The charges of naturalization and passport fraud each provide a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of falsely obtaining a social security number provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; David W. Hall, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez-Daple of Ortiz’s Criminal Division.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
