Three Plead Guilty To Federal Charges in Passport/Visa Fraud Case

Richard B. Roper, United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

Three individuals, one a former Dallas Police Officer, involved in a passport/visa fraud case, pled guilty today in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper, of the Northern District of Texas.

Jose Luis Cabrera, 37, pled guilty to one count of making a false statement in an immigration document. His wife, Moraima Carrette De Cabrera, 34, pled guilty to one count of making false statements in a passport application. Their residence is in Rowlettt, Texas. Mohammad Yousof Hakemy, 39, of Southlake, Texas, pled guilty to aiding and abetting in the making of false statements in a passport application. Each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade on May 16, 2007. Jose Luis Cabrera and Mohammad Yousof Hakemy are on bond. Moraima Carrete De Cabrera has been in custody since her arrest in November.

In May 2002, Moraima Carrete De Cabrera, while purporting to be another person, made false statements in a U.S. passport application by using a false alias name and a false Social Security number. At her request, defendant Mohammad Yousof Hakemy personally appeared at the passport office in Dallas to assist Moraima in securing the passport. He signed a false Affidavit of Identifying Witness which falsely represented that he had known her for six years. Hakemy well knew that she planned to submit the false affidavit as part of her fraudulent application for a U.S. passport.

From early January 2003 through early February 2003, Moraima Carrete de Cabrera and Mohammad Yousof Hakemy traveled together to Paris, France, and during this trip Moraima used this fraudulently obtained passport to travel to Paris and then to return to the United States. From 2002 to 2004 she also used the fraudulently obtained passport to travel with Hakemy to Italy and Mexico.

In March 2004, Jose Luis Cabrera married Moraima Carrete in Denton County, Texas, knowing that she was in the United States illegally. Shortly after they married, they traveled to Columbia to meet members of Jose’s family. Moraima used a U.S. passport that she had previously fraudulent obtained. Jose knew that Moraima’s passport had to be fraudulent because Jose knew she was an illegal alien and could not have lawfully obtained a legitimate U.S. passport.

Jose Luis Cabrera admitted that in December 2005, he made a false statement, under oath and penalty of perjury, with respect to a material fact in an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), falsely representing in the affidavit that a certain Social Security number was assigned to immigrant Moraima Cabrera. In December 2005, both Jose and Moraima falsely represented on at least two immigration and visa-related documents that the Social Security number listed on this document was assigned to Moraima.

In March 2006, Moraima Cabrera falsely represented in her Application of Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Form (Form DS-230) that her only previous visit to the U.S. was in November 1989, when she well knew, and concealed from the U.S. Department of State, that she re-entered the U.S. several times, including the trip to Columbia with Jose Cabrera in April 2004.

U.S. Attorney Roper commended the joint investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General - Office of Investigation, and the Dallas Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis.

Contact: Kathy Colvin
Phone: 214-659-8600
Fax: 214-767-2898
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/TXN