MD Man Indicted in Marriage Fraud SchemeU.S. Department of JusticeBaltimore, MD June 19, 2007 Rod J. Rosenstein United States Attorney District of Maryland Married Nine Immigrant Women So They Could Become Lawful Permanent Residents A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today charging James Adjei Kyem, age 52, of Frederick, Maryland in a marriage fraud scheme in which Kyem, for a fee, married immigrants and later filed immigration applications so they could become lawful permanent residents, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. According to the eight-count superseding indictment, Kyem is a naturalized U.S. citizen, having obtained his citizenship through his marriage in 1984 to a female described by the initials “TAO” who was a naturalized U.S. citizen in New York City. From 1996 through April 2007, Kyem lived, or claimed in official government documents, to live at 23 different addresses in Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia. During this time, Kyem allegedly married nine different immigrant women, the first one while he was still married to “TAO”, whom he divorced in 1997. In each case, shortly after the marriage Kyem would file forms to change the woman’s immigration status to lawful permanent resident. In filing the forms, Kyem falsely stated his address, marital status and that he did not gain permanent resident status through marriage to a U.S. citizen. Kyem charged the immigrant women money to enter into the sham marriages, so that they could become lawful permanent residents. Kyem also filed an alien “fiancee” petition for another woman in December 2006. Kyem was originally indicted on May 21, 2007 on one count of perjury. Kyem faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of four counts of mail fraud; 5 years in prison for marriage fraud; 10 years in prison for each of two counts of perjury; and 10 years in prison for passport fraud. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Solette Magnelli, who are prosecuting the case. Contact: L. Kendal Smith Vickie E. LeDuc or Marcia Murphy |
 | |||
|
