Thread: Sharon Man Charged With Immigration Fraud

Sharon Man Charged With Immigration Fraud
Posted on : 2007-07-23 | Author : U.S. Attorney

BOSTON, July 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Sharon man was charged today in federal court with fraud and misuse of documents required by the immigration laws, and with making false statements.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, Bruce Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- New England Field Office and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) -- New England Field Division announced today that MUHAMMAD MASOOD, age 49, of 74 Chase Drive, Sharon, MA, was charged in a Criminal Complaint with fraud and misuse of documents required by the immigration laws and with making false statements to Citizenship and Immigration Services.

A 36-page affidavit filed in support of the application for a Criminal Complaint states, in part, as follows:

MASOOD lied repeatedly, both orally and in writing, to the Immigration Service concerning facts material to his eligibility to become a Lawful Permanent Resident ("LPR") of the United States, (commonly referred to as the holder of a "green card"), for which he had applied. As indicated in greater detail [in specific paragraphs elsewhere in the affidavit], in an application for LPR status submitted to the Immigration Service on or about December 18, 2002, in an affidavit submitted in support thereof on January 31, 2005, and in interviews conducted under oath by immigration officials on November 15, 2006 February 13, 2003, and February 7, 2005, MASOOD repeatedly asserted that he had left the United States and returned to Pakistan during the two-year period from 1991 through 1993, as required as a condition of his Exchange Visitor visa. Moreover, he repeatedly asserted that, during that period of time, he had served as an Imam at a mosque in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Whether he had returned to Pakistan was material to the Immigration Service because, if he had not complied with that condition of his Exchange Visitor visa, he would have been ineligible for LPR status. Contrary to MASOOD's repeated, sworn assertions, however, multiple pieces of evidence establish that MASOOD, in fact, remained in the United States during that period of time. Not only does there exist no record of his exit and reentry to the United States, but evidence establishes that he remained in Boston University housing, received traffic citations, and was employed in the Boston area, all during that period of time, and in fact was present in Boston for the birth of his seventh child in March of 1992. In a continuing attempt to conceal the fact that he had failed to comply with the Exchange Visitor condition that he return to Pakistan, MASOOD repeatedly told under oath a facially implausible story (with shifting details) of the circumstances under which he claimed to have returned to the United States, all in an effort to explain the absence of any record of his alleged reentry into this country. The fact that MASOOD intentionally lied concerning his supposed return to Pakistan in 1991 to 1993 is buttressed by evidence of other material misstatements which he made to government agencies and other entities. For example, in 1999, MASOOD procured a New Hampshire driver's license, listing a New Hampshire address when, in fact, he was not a New Hampshire resident and did not live at the stated address; he, for years, lived in Boston University housing to which he was not entitled by misrepresenting that he continued to be a student when, in fact, he was no longer a student; in his application for LPR status, he falsely stated that he had never received public assistance when, in fact, his family had applied for and received benefits from the Massachusetts Medicaid program (MassHealth); and in his application for LPR status, he falsely stated that he had never been arrested, cited or charged with breaking any law or ordinance (excluding traffic violations) when, in fact, he had been arrested for shoplifting in Norwood, Massachusetts in 2000.

If convicted on these charges, MASOOD faces up to 10 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, up to a $ 250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment of $100 on each charge.

The case was investigated by special agents of ICE New England Field Office and the FBI New England Field Division assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aloke Chakravarty and Jeffrey Auerhahn of Sullivan's Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit.

The details contained in the complaint affidavit are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney
CONTACT: Christina Diiorio-Sterling of the office of United States
Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, District of Massachusetts, +1-617-748-3356,
USAMA.MEDIA@USDOJ.GOV

Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/USAO/MA


http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show ... 414.shtml#

This guy really worked the system, send him to the Gray Bar Hotel and send his family back to Pakistan