Thread: IN-Munster man accused of immigration fraud

Munster man accused of immigration fraud
Customs agent allegedly falsified documents
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June 29, 2010

BY TERESA AUCH SCHULTZ


A Munster man has been charged in federal court in connection with a scheme to falsify immigrants' documents.

The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, claims that William Mann, 50, took in $52,000 by falsifying the documents when he worked as a Customs and Border Protection supervisor at Midway International Airport.

Mann worked with Chicago restaurateur Rogerio Charu, who also was charged, to produce in 2005 the false documents for about 30 Brazilian immigrants working at Charu's restaurants in Chicago, Downers Grove and Schaumburg, the indictment says.

As a supervising officer for Customs and Border Protection at Midway, Mann was responsible for inspecting forms foreigners are required to fill out and making sure the information was accurate, according to the indictment. He would then stamp the form, which included the date of arrival, and would write on the form what date the foreigner was supposed to leave.

That information then went into a national database so that federal officials can keep track of whether someone had overstayed.

Charu paid Mann $700 to $2,000 a worker to falsify the documents, however, to say that his workers and their spouses had entered the country in May 2005 and could stay until May 2006, both of which were lies, the indictment claims.

The indictment says that Charu would tell his employees he could help them and to bring their passports -- and to get them renewed at the Brazilian Consulate General in Chicago if they were expired -- to one of his restaurants in Downers Grove, along with money. He then had Mann come there to fill out the false forms and stamp them.

Mann then entered the new arrival and departure dates into the federal database, according to the indictment.

Mann faces one count of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, and both face three counts each of aiding and abetting bribery and misuse of visas. Mann will be arraigned Thursday morning, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Charu is believed to be in Brazil, according to the release.

Mann faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

"Public employees serve the public and not themselves," Fitzgerald said in the release. "This is especially true for those law enforcement officers who are responsible for our customs and border security. We will will investigate and prosecute any persons shown to have compromised that security, whether by paying or taking bribes."


http://www.post-trib.com/news/2442102,n ... 29.article

"Public employees serve the public and not themselves," Fitzgerald said in the release. "This is especially true for those law enforcement officers who are responsible for our customs and border security. We will will investigate and prosecute any persons shown to have compromised that security

This guy should include the chain of command all the way to the top.