United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

NEW BRITAIN WOMAN FACES FEDERAL CHARGES RELATED TO PASSPORT AND MARRIAGE FRAUD

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an Indictment charging HUN SIV, 41, of Garry Drive, New Britain, with conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding and abetting marriage fraud, and making a false statement in application and use of a United States passport.  The Indictment was returned yesterday, January 29.

According to the Indictment and statements made in court, between January 6, 2006 and December 12, 2007, it is alleged that SIV, a naturalized U.S. citizen, recruited three U.S. citizens  to engage in fraudulent marriages with three foreign nationals from Cambodia.  SIV is alleged to have assisted two of the U.S. citizens in obtaining the necessary documents to obtain a U.S. passport for travel to Cambodia, and falsely stated under oath on an affidavit required by the U.S. Department of State that she had known one of the individuals for two years, when, in fact, she had known the individual for only one week.

If convicted of all three counts of the Indictment, SIV faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $750,000.

SIV was arrested in December on a federal criminal complaint involving these charges.  She has been released on bond with electronic monitoring since her arrest.

This matter has been assigned to Senior United States District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in New Haven.

U.S. Attorney O’Connor stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship Immigration Services; the Connecticut State Police, Central Criminal Intelligence Unit; the New Britain Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov