On April 25, 2018, a federal jury in Miami convicted Michael Roy Fraser, a Jamaican national, of naturalization fraud.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office; and Linda M. Swacina, Miami and Caribbean District Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), made the announcement.
Fraser was convicted, at trial, of Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization Unlawfully, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1425(a) and Misuse of Evidence of Citizenship or Naturalization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1423.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2007, Fraser, a Jamaican national, paid a U.S. citizen between $8,000 and $10,000 to enter into a fraudulent marriage, so he could unlawfully obtain U.S. residency and qualify for citizenship. Based on the fraudulent marriage, Fraser acquired residency, and in 2013, he became a U.S. citizen. About two months after obtaining a U.S. passport, Fraser filed for divorce against his U.S. citizen spouse and sooner after married the mother of his child, also a Jamaican national. Fraser then filed immigration paperwork to have his Jamaican-citizen spouse obtain U.S. legal permanent residency.
During a review of Fraser’s Jamaican spouse’s application for permanent residency, a USCIS officer detected various discrepancies that ultimately led to the discovery of the fraud. Specifically, the officer noticed that Fraser’s new Jamaican spouse claimed to have been living with Fraser during a time Fraser claimed to be married to his previous, U.S. citizen spouse. Further, the officer discovered that Fraser and his Jamaican spouse had a child together, who was born a year before Fraser’s fraudulent marriage took place, and which Fraser failed to disclose throughout his own applications to become a permanent resident and U.S. citizen
This matter was referred to USCIS Fraud Detection National Security (FDNS) immigration officers who worked closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to investigate the fraudulent scheme. USCIS works with law enforcement and intelligence community partners to resolve potential fraud and national security and public safety concerns and aggressively pursues benefit fraud cases in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 10, 2018 at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Beth F. Bloom, in Miami.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and USCIS. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Turken and ICE Special Assistant United States Attorney Monica Atkins.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
