Trial opens in New York marriage scams for permanent residency

[jundibasam 0]

Larry Neumeister

The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Hundreds of people not entitled to stay in the United States won permanent residency through a sophisticated scam that relied on a corrupt former U.S. immigration official, a prosecutor said at the start of a trial Tuesday.

In the scheme, U.S. citizens were paid to marry someone who otherwise could not qualify for permanent residency, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wong said. She accused the defendant, Peter Absolam, of being a salesman who helped people obtain immigration documents "based on fraud and deceit and lies."

"Some met their spouse only once, some not at all," Wong said.

Prosecutors said immigrants paid up to $16,000 to participate.

Through FBI recordings and the work of an informant, investigators learned how elaborate the scam was, relying on a financial and legal aid business owned by Beverly Mozer-Browne and the help of her brother, Phillip A. Browne, a former U.S. immigration office worker, she said.

Browne, a district adjudication officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office before he resigned in November 2005, eased approval of phony applications by generating green cards without the required interview, prosecutors said.

Of the 29 people originally charged in the case, 24 have pleaded guilty.

Browne and Mozer-Browne have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

Wong said Absolam's role in the scheme was discovered when one of his potential customers reported it to government investigators, leading to a charge of conspiracy to obtain immigration documents by false pretenses.

Absolam's conversations with the customer were recorded, forming the basis of the case against him and demonstrating that the fraud from April 2001 through November 2005 produced as much as $1 million in proceeds from fees paid by immigrants, Wong said.

The FBI listened in as Mozer-Browne described the scam in detail to the informant and to Absolam, Wong said.

"The defendant was caught red handed," she told the jury.

Absolam lawyer Ellyn I. Bank told jurors they will have to decide whether her client was a knowing participant in a fraud.

She said Absolam has worked for four years for an organization for troubled youths. Absolam could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

[jundibasam 0]

Larry Neumeister

The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Hundreds of people not entitled to stay in the United States won permanent residency through a sophisticated scam that relied on a corrupt former U.S. immigration official, a prosecutor said at the start of a trial Tuesday.

In the scheme, U.S. citizens were paid to marry someone who otherwise could not qualify for permanent residency, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wong said. She accused the defendant, Peter Absolam, of being a salesman who helped people obtain immigration documents "based on fraud and deceit and lies."

"Some met their spouse only once, some not at all," Wong said.

Prosecutors said immigrants paid up to $16,000 to participate.

Through FBI recordings and the work of an informant, investigators learned how elaborate the scam was, relying on a financial and legal aid business owned by Beverly Mozer-Browne and the help of her brother, Phillip A. Browne, a former U.S. immigration office worker, she said.

Browne, a district adjudication officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office before he resigned in November 2005, eased approval of phony applications by generating green cards without the required interview, prosecutors said.

Of the 29 people originally charged in the case, 24 have pleaded guilty.

Browne and Mozer-Browne have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

Wong said Absolam's role in the scheme was discovered when one of his potential customers reported it to government investigators, leading to a charge of conspiracy to obtain immigration documents by false pretenses.

Absolam's conversations with the customer were recorded, forming the basis of the case against him and demonstrating that the fraud from April 2001 through November 2005 produced as much as $1 million in proceeds from fees paid by immigrants, Wong said.

The FBI listened in as Mozer-Browne described the scam in detail to the informant and to Absolam, Wong said.

"The defendant was caught red handed," she told the jury.

Absolam lawyer Ellyn I. Bank told jurors they will have to decide whether her client was a knowing participant in a fraud.

She said Absolam has worked for four years for an organization for troubled youths. Absolam could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

[Jasman0717 9]

There was one of these scams going through CSC a couple of years ago and it drastically dropped the approval rates. When we went through our petition was approved in less than two weeks and look at it now! I hope they throw the book at these crooks

[Mononoke28 135]

What else is new?

[Empress 0]

Jasman I noticed that too. I look at people's timelines for the I-130 and I can't believe people are waiting so long. mine was approved 2 weeks after I got the receipt. I wasn't even watching the mail every day like some people. It was just there one day. Needless to say the embassy eventually slowed me down by 7 months.

I'm on the fence with this. If I had to do something like this to get out of a bad situation I would. But I question these people who could find 16 grand to pay for it up front. How bad could it be?

[GOLDEN.247 0]

Jasman I noticed that too. I look at people's timelines for the I-130 and I can't believe people are waiting so long. mine was approved 2 weeks after I got the receipt. I wasn't even watching the mail every day like some people. It was just there one day. Needless to say the embassy eventually slowed me down by 7 months.

I'm on the fence with this. If I had to do something like this to get out of a bad situation I would. But I question these people who could find 16 grand to pay for it up front. How bad could it be?

Very good point

[jundibasam 0]

Yeah, but the laws have been changed recently to provide more assistance to those seeking to escape a bad situation. 5-10 years ago, I would agree with you, but with the LIFE act and other legislation, I think there are relatively few excuses one can use to break the immigration laws now. As you stated, this causes delays in legit applications, and its possible that I have to wait even longer to be with my wife.