Thread: Two N.Y. men in military nuptials scam: G.I.s wed immigrants

Two N.Y. men in military nuptials scam: G.I.s wed immigrants to boost benefits

New York Daily News
BY Samuel Goldsmith
Wednesday, October 28th 2009

It was a marriage made in heaven: Russian immigrants who needed citizenship papers and bachelor soldiers who wanted a housing allowance.

Bringing them together was a pair of New York military men who brokered sham weddings and now face up to five years in the federal clink, prosecutors say.

The alleged masterminds are Pavel and Alexander Manin, two brothers who came to the city from Kazakhstan and joined the U.S. military after 9/11.

They're accused of transporting Russian women from the city to the Army base in Fort Bragg, N.C., for the nuptials - and pocketing thousands in fees.

The scam "violates longstanding immigration law and depletes much-needed resources for military personnel," North Carolina U.S. Attorney George Holding said when eight suspects were indicted.

The scheme, according to prosecutors, worked like this:

Russian women would pay the Manin brothers up to $5,000 for a bus ticket and a husband.

They would ride down, marry the soldier, then return to New York and file citizenship papers.

The grooms got a coveted $600-a-month family living allowance from the Army and permission to live off-base.

It all started when Alexander Manin received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps in 2004, returned to New York and started recruiting Russian brides.

Pavel Manin joined the Army in 2005 and began finding grooms at Fort Bragg.

Everything was going great - until the Army caught wind.

Chris Grey, a spokesman for the Army Criminal Investigation Command, said the scheme cost taxpayers $200,000 in extra wages and benefits for the soldiers.

Among those charged is Sgt. Jason Hawk, who met his wife, Ayna Ivanova, for the first time when she showed up for their wedding. He was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, spent four months in jail and was discharged from the Army.

Wesley Farris, 23, married Svetlana Kaloshina in 2005, and Pvt. Stephen Schneider, 23, wed Tatyana Urazova soon after.

Farris and Schneider pleaded guilty to conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing, along with their brides.

The Manin brothers are awaiting trial on charges of marriage and visa fraud, conspiracy and stealing public money.

North Carolina TV station WRAL reported that the brothers also have fake wives. A woman who married Alexander Manin told agents that she is a lesbian and married him only to obtain citizenship, WRAL reported.

sgoldsmith@nydailynews.com

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