WA-Man pleads guilty in gay immigration fraud

Originally published Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 4:02 AM

Comments (1)

Man pleads guilty in gay immigration fraud

A man accused of advising straight immigrants to claim homosexuality - and potential persecution in their home countries - when they applied for asylum has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit immigration fraud.

SEATTLE —
A man accused of advising straight immigrants to claim homosexuality - and potential persecution in their home countries - when they applied for asylum has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit immigration fraud.

Steven Mahoney entered his plea Tuesday in federal court in Seattle.

The U.S. attorney's office says the 41-year-old Mahoney ran Mahoney and Associates in Kent, and held himself out as an expert in immigration affairs. They say he made money by advising immigrants on how to stay in the U.S. Between late 1998 and mid 2007, Mahoney admits he filed as many as 99 false immigration documents and was paid between $1,000 and $4,000 for each.

Mahoney faces a maximum five years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 21.

Mahoney's ex-wife Helen Mahoney, also charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, faces a plea hearing later this week.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... cation=rss