Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A United Kingdom citizen residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has admitted to making false statements in an immigration case. Duncan Hollands, also known as Duncan Herd, pleaded guilty in a Boston federal court to one count of falsely swearing in an immigration matter. The plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, who set the sentencing date for April 10, 2025. Hollands was initially charged with the offense in August 2024.
In May 2021, Hollands submitted an application for lawful permanent resident status in the United States. During his application process and a subsequent interview in February 2022, he falsely stated that he had never used another name and had no criminal history. However, it was later revealed that Hollands had previously been convicted under the name Duncan Herd and served over three years in prison for obtaining property by deception and other offenses. Additionally, he had prior interactions with law enforcement authorities in both the United Kingdom and France.
The legal consequences of the charge include a potential sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and a fine that could reach $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The announcement of Hollands' guilty plea was made by several officials: United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service's Boston Field Office. The investigation received support from various agencies including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, local police departments from Cambridge and Woburn in Massachusetts, as well as U.K. law enforcement authorities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III from the Major Crimes Unit is responsible for prosecuting this case.
