A federal grand jury has indicted Cyril Domaquik Clemens, a 71-year-old U.S. citizen originally from Liberia, on charges of naturalization fraud. The indictment claims that Clemens lied about his criminal conduct when applying for U.S. citizenship.
Court documents allege that Clemens knowingly made false statements under penalty of perjury both on his naturalization application and during an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). When asked if he had ever been involved in forcing someone to have sexual contact or if he had committed crimes for which he was not arrested, Clemens answered “No.” He became a naturalized citizen on February 19, 2021.
On April 3, 2023, Clemens pleaded guilty in Durham County Superior Court to three counts of indecent liberties with a child. He received a prison sentence ranging from 16 to 29 months and was ordered to register as a sex offender. According to the court records, Clemens admitted to sexually abusing the victim over more than ten years, starting when the child was four years old. Authorities did not arrest him until after he obtained citizenship, so immigration officials were unaware of his actions at the time.
If convicted on all three counts of naturalization fraud, Clemens could face up to 30 years in prison and automatic loss of his U.S. citizenship.
“Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. ICE ERO officers and HSI agents assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Division is assisting the initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.”
Further details about this case can be found through public records available at the website for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or by searching Case No. 5:25-CR-151-FL-RN on PACER.
