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http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/061117kansascity.htm

Four Russian nationals, Polish national indicted for visa fraud

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Four Russian nationals and a Polish national, who were involved with a Branson, Mo., company that provides workers to area hotels, have been indicted by a federal grand jury today for submitting false statements to obtain foreign labor visas for hundreds of employees.

Today's indictments were announced by Bradley J. Schlozman, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General.

Serguei Choukline, also known as Anton Kim, 48, and his wife, Irina Choukline, 44, both of whom were born in Russia and now reside in Springfield, Mo., Anna Bauer, 28, who was born in Russia and resides in Falls Church, Va., Irina Lemetyuynen, 38, who was born in Russia and resides in Springfield, and Angnieszka Koblenc, 31, who was born in Poland and resides in Springfield, were charged in a 17-count second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006.

Serguei Choukline was a director and Irina Choukline was the secretary of Midwest Hotel Management Corp., 1316 W. Hwy. 76 in Branson, Mo. Bauer, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc were employees of Midwest.

The Chouklines, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc were arrested yesterday and had their initial appearance in federal court in Springfield. Bauer was arrested and appeared in federal court in Virginia. Lemetyuynen and Koblenc remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Dec. 1. Irina Choukline was released on a $25,000 bond and Serguei Choukline was continued on his earlier $50,000 bond. Bauer was also released on bond.

This second superseding indictment replaces an earlier indictment by adding Irina Choukline, Bauer, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc as co-defendants and omitting Monica A. Lopez, 25, a citizen of Mexico residing in the Branson area, who pleaded guilty the charge of aiding and abetting visa fraud that was contained in a Feb. 8, 2006, superseding indictment. Lopez was director of human resources for Midwest.

The federal indictment, Schlozman explained, involves the use of temporary worker visas. The temporary worker program is designed to allow foreign workers to provide labor for certain industries after it has been determined that there is a legitimate need for the work and that there are an insufficient number of citizens or other legal aliens to provide the labor.

Count One of the federal indictment alleges that each of the co-defendants participated in a conspiracy to make false statements and to commit mail fraud, visa fraud and alien inducement from May 1, 2002 to November 2006 in Branson and Springfield. Midwest allegedly submitted 15 foreign labor visa applications containing numerous false statements to obtain approximately 300 foreign labor visas, including visas for Lopez, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc. Through the use of a fraudulently obtained foreign labor workforce, the indictment says Midwest received approximately $1.5 million in ill-gotten gains.

The false statements contained in these visa applications, the indictment alleges, include naming fictitious corporate officers, providing fraudulent reference letters, manufacturing fraudulent employment interviews of U.S. citizens, improperly listing places of employment, and the unauthorized use of an address supplied by Midwest Hotel Management as their corporate office.
Serguei Choukline, using the alias Anton Kim, allegedly was the architect of the overall scheme who gathered, executed and submitted the bulk of the documents on behalf of Midwest. Irina Choukline allegedly provided, submitted, and purportedly translated fraudulent supporting documentation for visa applications submitted by Midwest on behalf of Lemetyuynen, Koblenc and others. She also had payroll responsibilities and paid the bills of Midwest. Bauer was the original “day to day” face of Midwest with regard to the recruiting, placement and transportation of seasonal workers, the indictment says, and also had payroll responsibilities.

Count Two of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Lemetyuynen, aiding and abetting each other, made false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concerning Lemetyuynen's residence and employment status on Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, on Oct. 4, 2002.

Count Three of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Lemetyuynen aided and abetted each other to commit mail fraud on Oct. 4, 2002 by having a fraudulently obtained visa delivered to Lemetyuynen's employer by U.S. mail.

Count Four of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Lemetyuynen aided and abetted each other to commit visa fraud on Oct. 4, 2002 by causing an I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker to be filed for Lemetyuynen with a visa subsequently received by means of false representations.

Count Five of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Lemetyuynen aided and abetted each other in making false statements on Aug. 23, 2004 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concerning a visa application for Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker and Permanent Resident Status in the United States.

Count Six of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Lemetyuynen aided and abetted each other to commit mail fraud on Aug. 23, 2004 by having a fraudulently obtained visa delivered by U.S. mail.

Count Seven of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Lemetyuynen aided and abetted each other to commit visa fraud on Aug. 31, 2005 by causing an I-140 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, I-485 Application to Register Permanent Resident or Adjust Status, and G-325 Biographical Sheet to be filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Count Eight of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Koblenc, aiding and abetting each other, made false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concerning Koblenc's residence and employment status on Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, on May 20, 2004.

Count Nine of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Koblenc aided and abetted each other to commit mail fraud on May 20, 2004 by having a fraudulently obtained visa delivered to Koblenc's employer by U.S. mail.

Count Ten of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Koblenc aided and abetted each other to commit visa fraud on May 20, 2004 by causing an I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker to be filed for Koblenc with a visa subsequently received by means of false representations.

Count Eleven of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Koblenc aided and abetted each other in making false statements on March 30, 2005 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concerning a visa application for Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker and Permanent Resident Status in the United States.

Count Twelve of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Koblenc aided and abetted each other to commit mail fraud on March 30, 2005 by having a fraudulently obtained visa delivered by U.S. mail.

Count Thirteen of the federal indictment alleges that the Chouklines and Koblenc aided and abetted each other to commit visa fraud on March 30, 2005 by causing an I-140 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, I-485 Application to Register Permanent Resident or Adjust Status, and G-325 Biographical Sheet to be filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Counts Fourteen, Fifteen and Sixteen of the federal indictment allege that, on three separate instances between Oct. 2, 2002, and Feb. 10, 2005, Serguei Choukline induced an illegal alien to enter and reside in the United States.

Count Seventeen of the federal indictment is a forfeiture count, which would require the Chouklines to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including residential property located at 3634 W. Suzanne Place in Springfield, Mo.

Schlozman cautioned that the charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes, Western District of Missouri.

-- ICE --