Milford, do you recall the forged visa’s from a couple weeks ago, was that in Singapore?
I remember reading it, but not all the details.
Not specifically Singapore, but the archives of the messages show 24 visa fraud incidents. (2 from Virginia) This one from March 9, 2005, 11:08 PM EST and this other connected with the ricin guy:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj—
immigrationfraud0309mar09,0,7340219.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Seven people, including the owners of two
immigration services companies,were charged Wednesday with “massive”
immigration fraud, the U.S. attorney said.
Naran J. Ivanchukov, 67, of McLean, Va.; George Tsui, 44, of
Clifton, Va.; Rex B. Wingerter, 51, of Hyattsville, Md.; Michelle I.
Pappadakis, 21, of Sterling, Va.; Bemba Balsirov, 48, of Howell,
N.J.; Robert J. Mafhood, 31 of Pocono Lake, Pa.; and Alis Jia, 41,
address unavailable, were charged with submitting fraudulent
immigration-related documents to get green cards.
Ivanchukov, owner of Global Recruitment and Immigration Services
Inc., and Tsui, owner of U.S. Eagle Inc., allegedly conspired with
the others to submit hundreds of false documents to the U.S.
Department of Labor and other government agencies. The certification
was so aliens could work in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, but
the jobs did not exist, U.S. Attorney Paul F. McNulty said.
The indictment also names as an unindicted coconspirator Paul V.
Mederos, who pleaded guilty to related charges in July 2004 and
admitted Global paid him $211,000 to sign false documents.
Ivanchukov and Pappadakis also are charged with money laundering and
tax-related charges for allegedly keeping cash they received from
illegal aliens in a safe rather than a bank account. The indictment
said Tsui charged aliens tens of thousands of dollars, which he
shared with Ivanchukov, to get the visas.
“This is another case of massive fraud demonstrating how criminals
undermine and abuse our immigration and visa systems,” McNulty
said. “In this post-9-11 era, these schemes must be detected and
prosecuted.”
A team of special agents with the Department of Labor’s Office of
Inspector General investigated the case, along with Internal Revenue
Service agents, the FBI, the Department of State’s Office of
Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security.