Indian man pleads guilty to Green Card marriage scam in US
A 29-year-old Indian national living unlawfully in the US has pleaded guilty to marriage fraud aimed at fraudulently obtaining a Green Card, a patch to American citizenship. He overstayed his visa and falsified documents to support a fraudulent marriage. When the plan failed, he falsely claimed domestic abuse to remain in the US.The US Attorney's Office has announced that Aakash Prakash Makwana pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Makwana was unlawfully living in Ronceverte, West Virginia. The 29-year-old admitted that he committed the offence as part of a scheme to marry a US citizen to evade US immigration laws, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a statement.advertisementMakwana initially entered the US on a J-1 non-immigrant visa, intended for work in the hospitality and culinary fields. Since the visa was only valid for one year, he collaborated with others in a scheme to marry a US citizen in order to stay in the country illegally.
The J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa that lets foreign nationals come to the US to participate in educational, cultural, or professional exchange programmes for a short duration.MAKWANA CONSPIRED TO MARRY US CITIZEN TO GET A GREEN CARDAccording to court documents and statements made in court, Makwana arrived in the US on a J-1 nonimmigrant visa on November 23, 2019. As part of his guilty plea, Makwana admitted that he knew the J-1 visa was valid for one year and that he remained in the US after the visa was not extended and expired on November 24, 2020.advertisementAround August 2021, Makwana conspired with others to marry a US citizen for $10,000 (approximately Rs 8.32 lakh) so he could apply for lawful permanent resident status, also known as a Green Card.Makwana was living in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and working without legal authorisation. As part of the scheme, Makwana married a US citizen on September 3, 2021, falsified a residential lease agreement to make it appear that he and the US citizen lived together, and added the US citizen's name to his utility bills and bank accounts, the statement added.Makwana admitted he committed aggravated identity theft when he included the name and signature of the residential property's manager on the falsified lease agreement without the property manager's authorisation.MAKHANA MAKES FALSE CLAIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCEAfter the marriage scheme fell through, Makwana submitted a Form I-360 to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, alleging that he was a victim of domestic violence and emotional abuse by his US citizen partner. Makwana admitted that he falsely claimed in the petition that he suffered domestic violence and emotional abuse at the hands of the US citizen he married as part of the fraud scheme.He further admitted that he filed the petition to continue to stay in the US while his claims were considered and to increase his chances of obtaining a Green Card, according to the statement.advertisementMakwana is set to be sentenced on September 26. He could face prison time, financial penalties, and possible deportation from America.
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