A Local 12 investigation uncovers an international marriage fraud ring targeting young, local women.
They are paid to marry Russian men so they can fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship.
Local 12's Rich Jaffe found in more ways than one, it's a ring of deceit.
On
December 12, 2006, Rachel Poor married Russian citizen Pavel Shlykov in
Hamilton County. Investigators say both got something out of the deal.
She got money, and he got a shot at becoming a U.S. Citizen.
Marriage fraud is a crime on the local and federal level and, as you'll see, it's a lucrative proposition in the Tri-State.
Recently
arrested for welfare fraud in Clermont County, the investigators'
affidavit in Rachel Poor's case lays out the deal she made. It says
Poor "would receive cash lump payment, cash monthly payments, and a
promised future lump sum payment in exchange for aiding (Shlykov)
obtain citizenship."
Poor says she was told by the woman who put the deal together "She could make easy money by marrying a Russian."
"I
worried about her safety," said Margaret Dolch, Rachel Poor's
grandmother. "Because of the threats, don't mess with them. It was kind
of put out there that don't threaten them, you don't know who you're
messing with kind of thing."
Poor's family members say she
only received a few payments and new husband Pavel Shlykov left for New
Jersey shortly after they were married.
Local 12's
investigation found Poor and Shlykov are just one of several illegal
unions formed here over the past couple of years.
In January of 2007, Stephanie Renee Dunn married Iosif Turov.
In September of 2006, Rracy Cecil married Grigor Hakobyan.
In June of 2006, Samantha Rehn married Kamo Margaryan.
They're all local women who admit they were paid to marry foreign men in order to help them gain citizenship.
One woman Local 12 spoke to is married to just such a man. Concerned about her safety, we agreed to protect her identity.
"He
kind of tossed it at me as a marriage, but not. Me and him hung out
quite a few times, he knew my situation, knew I needed money. He was
gonna pay me after I married him, and so much a month. Three hundred
dollars a month."
In Hamilton County, marriage licenses are
granted through probate court. Judge Jim Cissell says shortly after he
took office in 2003, his staff became aware of an unusual number of
questionable marriages, many involving Russians or former Soviet
citizens.
In 2005, Cissell's office provided a lengthy list
of those marriages to immigration officials. He provided another such
list, this past December.
"There were a number of folks
coming from former USSR countries that were getting marriage licenses,"
said Judge Cissell. "They were generally accompanied by a third party
and the couples getting married oftentimes appeared not to know each
other, and in turn to have some communication problems between
themselves which indicated a little suspicious activity."
Immigration
and customs enforcement, or ICE agents, began looking at Cissell's
list, and in September of 2007, they caught, prosecuted and deported
Kamo Margaryan for his fraudulent 2006 marriage to Samantha Rehn, 20.
Marriage
to obtain citizenship is a federal crime and carries penalties of up to
five years in prison plus fines and deportation.
The sham
marriages Local 12 discovered being brokered here in the Tri-State
usually involve young mothers on welfare. Most of them also have minor
criminal histories. Until last fall, the two shadowy Russian women
arranging these deals, known only as Elena and Anna, lived in a Union
Township apartment complex.
Investigators say the two,
Russian women were frequently accompanied by a tall African American
man, using the name Donate Reese. Many people who are aware of these
marriage for citizenship deals worry about who we're really allowing to
stay in the country.
The brides involved in these cases are
given $700 to $1,000 prior to marriage, and then promised $300 a month
for the next two years.
Immigration law requires a two year period to pass before someone can be legalized, after marrying a U.S. Citizen.
Offered
$5,000 to lie to immigration officials about her husband, the woman we
talked to who asked to remain unidentified says when she wanted out,
the threats started.
"I moved, he found out where I lived,
how I do not know. He called my fiance now and threatened him,
threatened me, told me I'd be sorry if he had to come to my home. He
knew what time my daughter got off the bus, things like that."
No
one knows how many illicit marriages have been arranged for profit in
this area, but so far only a couple of the known Soviet husbands have
been arrested. Investigators believe the marriage brokers, Anna, Elena
and Dontae are still in business, although they may have recently moved
their operation to a different community.
One of the Russian
husbands, Iosif Rurov, is in federal custody and expected to go on
trial May 12th. He faces a number of immigration fraud charges.
Since Local 12 Rich Jaffe's story aired, the alleged matchmaker has come forward with his side of the story. Don't miss it... today on Local 12 Live at 5:30 pm.
