Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
International

47-Year-Old Indian Pleads Guilty To Marriage And Visa Fraud

Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Mar, 2019 10:33 PM
  • 47-Year-Old Indian Pleads Guilty To Marriage And Visa Fraud

An Indian man in the US has pleaded guilty to the charges of running a fake marriage racket through which he helped illegal immigrants, mostly Indians, to get married to American citizens, and helping them stay in the country.


The man identified as 47-year-old Ravi Babu Kolla, who was residing in Florida’s Panama city, has been detained.


His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 22 at the US Courthouse in Tallahassee.


His co-conspirator Krystal Cloud, 40, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for marriage and visa fraud conspiracy after he pleaded guilty on December 28, 2018. She is a US citizen.


Between February 2017 and August 2018, Kolla operated an immigration marriage fraud business in Bay County that recruited US citizens to marry Indian foreign nationals to gain immigration benefits, prosecutors said on Thursday.


An investigation identified over 80 fraudulent marriages that were performed in Alabama as part of Kolla’s scheme, the Department of Justice said.


After entering a fraudulent marriage in October 2017, Cloud began recruiting US citizens to marry Indian nationals.


She directly recruited or participated in the recruitment of 10 or more US citizens from Panama city and rural Calhoun and Jackson Counties, the prosecutors alleged.


Kolla faces a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit marriage and visa frauds and a maximum of 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy.

MORE International ARTICLES

India Will Not Escalate Situation With Pak, But Will Not Take Pulwama As Its Destiny: Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said she conveyed to several countries post Pulwama attack that India will not escalate the situation with Pakistan

India Will Not Escalate Situation With Pak, But Will Not Take Pulwama As Its Destiny: Sushma Swaraj

Case Of British Citizen Jagtar Singh Johal In Indian Jail Being Actively Dealt With: Theresa May

Case Of British Citizen Jagtar Singh Johal In Indian Jail Being Actively Dealt With: Theresa May
Johal, from Dumbarton in Scotland, was arrested by Indian authorities in November 2017 on charges of fanning communal disturbance in Punjab.

Case Of British Citizen Jagtar Singh Johal In Indian Jail Being Actively Dealt With: Theresa May

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Backs Students' Climate Change Strike

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday urged students of the country not to underestimate the power of their voice ahead of a nationwide youth strike

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Backs Students' Climate Change Strike

WATCH: Pro-Khalistani, Pro-Modi Demonstrators Clash Outside Indian Mission In London

A clash broke out between groups of rival demonstrators assembled outside the Indian High Commission in London on Saturday.

WATCH: Pro-Khalistani, Pro-Modi Demonstrators Clash Outside Indian Mission In London

Cong Cites Ajit Doval’s 2010 Interview, Says He Gave ‘Clean Chit’ To JeM Chief

The scathing attack by the Congress comes a day after the BJP latched on to Rahul Gandhi’s reference to the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief as “Masood Azhar ji”.

Cong Cites Ajit Doval’s 2010 Interview, Says He Gave ‘Clean Chit’ To JeM Chief

Pakistan Assures US To Deal 'Firmly' With Terrorists, Says NSA John Bolton

Pakistan Assures US To Deal 'Firmly' With Terrorists, Says NSA John Bolton
Pakistan has assured the United States that it will deal firmly with all terrorists and take steps to de-escalate tensions with India

Pakistan Assures US To Deal 'Firmly' With Terrorists, Says NSA John Bolton