Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Marcus Taslim, a 70-year-old resident of Folsom, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for visa fraud, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. In addition to the prison sentence, Taslim has been ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution to the victim.
Court documents reveal that in December 2018, Taslim brought a victim from Indonesia to the United States under false pretenses. The purpose was for her to provide caregiving services for his mother. To secure her entry into the country, Taslim obtained a non-immigrant visa by making false statements. He misled a consular officer by claiming that the victim's stay would be limited to one month and that she would receive minimum and overtime wages according to California law. He also falsely stated that he had paid her salary in advance.
Once proof of advance payment was provided, Taslim instructed the victim to withdraw the money and return it to him. She complied with this demand.
The victim continued working as a caregiver for about six months under harsh conditions. Her workdays typically began between 5 and 6 a.m., ending around 8 or 9 p.m., seven days a week. Despite these long hours, she received far less than minimum wage and was not paid regularly or fully as promised. Additionally, Taslim confiscated her passport, preventing her from leaving until June 2019 when the Folsom Police Department intervened.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong.
