4 Charged In Federal Visa Fraud Case

POSTED: 10:15 am EDT July 25, 2006
UPDATED: 10:15 am EDT July 25, 2006

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Four people have been arrested in what federal authorities believe was a scheme to get North Carolina residents to go to the Ukraine and marry people who wanted to become U.S. citizens.

Volodimir M. Grysyk, 41; Samantha D. Lucas, 25; and Vasyl Hrubenyuk and Lesya Venher, both 24, were charged Monday, according to documents in U.S. District Court.

Prosecutors charged Lucas and Grysyk with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and misuse of visas. Hrubenyuk and Venher were charged with aiding others to create false family relationships to get visas.

Authorities said in the court filings that Lucas, a Raleigh native, went to the Ukraine in 2004 to marry Grysyk to get a visa and later recruited others to go to Ukraine and get married.

An affidavit by Tony Bell, an agent of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, said the four would be paid $6,500.

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Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com