Thread: Iranian Police Officer Caught Crossing into US From Mexico

Iranian Police Officer Caught Crossing into US From Mexico Pleads Guilty to Lying about US Citizenship
Fair Oaks Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Federal Agents Concerning Citizenship

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- Pejman Amrollah Majdabadi, a 30-year-old Fair Oaks police officer, pleaded guilty to federal charges of making false statements to federal authorities concerning his citizenship, according to United States Attorney John E. Murphy.

Appearing before United States Chief District Judge Fred Biery, Amrollah pleaded guilty to four counts of making false statements to federal authorities. By pleading guilty, Amrollah admitted to being an Iranian citizen who falsely claimed to be a citizen of the United States in August 2006 while applying to be a contract linguist for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and again in January 2010 while applying to become a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Amrollah also admitted that in September 2009 and again in December 2009, he made a false declaration on a Department of Homeland Security naturalization application stating that he had never previously claimed to be a U.S. citizen, either verbally or in written form.

Court records also reveal that Amrollah falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen when in 2002, he completed a basic detention officers course at the Concho Valley Law Enforcement Academy and was subsequently hired to be a jailer by the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department. In 2004, Amrollah also provided false U.S. citizenship information during a basic peace officer course at San Antonio College Law Enforcement Academy. After completing the course, Amrollah was granted a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) Peace Officer License and was hired in November 2004 to be a police officer with the Fair Oaks Police Department. In order to become a TCLEOSE police officer, Amrollah was required to be a U.S. citizen, which he was not.

According to the factual basis filed in this case, in 1998, Amrollah—along with his mother, father, and younger sister—was apprehended for illegally crossing into the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. In 1999, Amrollah was granted asylum status as a juvenile child of a parent claiming asylum. In 2004, Amrollah’s status was changed to legal permanent resident alien. On February 25, 2010, Amrollah became a U.S. citizen.

Amrollah faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine per count. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2011, before Judge Biery.

The case was investigated by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Roomberg is prosecuting the matter for the government.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?Article ... ryId=14091

Ex-cop pleads guilty to making false statements
He admits making false statements about citizenship.
By Guillermo Contreras
gcontreras@express-news.net
Updated 11:47 p.m., Tuesday, August 9, 2011

A well-regarded Fair Oaks Ranch police officer who resigned amid allegations that he lied about his citizenship to get jobs in law enforcement pleaded guilty Tuesday to four counts of making false statements.

The federal felony charges against Pejman Amrollah Majdabadi, 30, who's of Iranian descent, stemmed from his zeal to get a job with the FBI and for lying on his immigration applications on his way to becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen, court documents show.

The maximum punishment for each count is five years in prison. His sentencing was set for Dec. 2.

The FBI alleged Amrollah made false claims when, beginning in August 2006, he applied to be a contract linguist for the FBI. He later applied to be an FBI agent in January 2010 and again falsely said he was a U.S. citizen. He didn't become naturalized until a month later, in February 2010.

Two charges said he lied to the Homeland Security Department by falsely stating in 2009 that he had never claimed to be a U.S. citizen before, when he had in fact claimed to be a citizen when applying for jobs as a jailer and with the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department.

“He could become un-naturalized as a result of this plea,â€