A former federal immigration employee and his sister pleaded guilty Friday, agreeing to spend about three years in prison and pay $1.5 million in fines for conspiring to charge people up to $16,000 to obtain green cards through sham marriages.
In separate proceedings, Philip Browne, 41, a former district adjudication officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and his tearful sister, Beverly Mozer-Browne, 50, entered their pleas to the single conspiracy charge under a deal in Manhattan's U.S. District Court.
They admitted their roles in a scheme that prosecutors said resulted in the issuance of hundreds of green cards for customers of Mozer-Browne's Queens business between 2001 and 2006.Federal authorities said Mozer-Browne was the ringleader, accepting between $8,000 and $16,000 from people who wanted to get green cards, resulting in a stream of income that exceeded $1 million.
In return for the fees, Mozer-Browne and her workers prepared documents containing phony facts so the customers could obtain marriage licenses and other documents. American citizens were paid to participate in phony marriages with the customers, prosecutors said.
The fraudulent business was discovered after an immigrant who was solicited as a customer wrote to the FBI. The federal government is now helping the informant, who testified at a recent trial, to obtain a green card.
The prosecution has resulted in one jury conviction and 26 guilty pleas. One woman still awaits trial.
During his plea, Browne said he became involved in the scheme when his sister asked him to approve permanent residency applications submitted by her customers.
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/saturday/news/ny-nyimmi085364803sep08%2C0%2C1320906.story
2007-09-08 10:31:58 · 6 answers · asked by Untied States Of Latina 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
The statue of Liberty is a statue. The words below are a poem for hope. That's like wanting to crucify the person who wrote Cinderella because all women around the world didn't get their glass slippers and the handsome prince and life here-after perfect and beautiful;. It doesn't hurt to strive for the best.....it's just not a guarentee everybody gets it.
People are comming here EXPECTING to get it.
Sorry...this is Earth 2007....not the hereafter. This is Earth....not heaven. People used to come here because the majority of people bettered their lives. Now they don't. They are taking that hope away because too many people are comming here and expecting to get it. Handed to them in many cases. I'm poor...give me. Sorry....ain't no free ride yet people still expect to get it.
Hey...sorry....if you are stupid enough to think you can buy something that isn't someone elses to give away.....then you are just stupid. You don't BUY freedom....you don't BUY marraige..you don't BUY citizenship. Sorry if you come from a culture where all that is sold so easily.....you can't sell what you don't have the ability to give.
2007-09-08 10:43:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
The Statue of Liberty says nothing. It's simply a statue with a copy of a poem, written by Emma Lazarus (a NY socialite) inscribed on it. The poem was inscribed years later.
Those who perpetrate sham marriages can be imprisoned in federal prison for 5 years.
2007-09-08 17:50:49 · answer #2 · answered by Lori K 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The statue of liberty poem was written in English. If you wish to interpret it you need to press 1.
2007-09-08 18:06:16 · answer #3 · answered by Angel Primeau 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The statue of Liberty said give us your poor and your hungry.
2007-09-08 17:40:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only $16,000?
Some people are now paying $100,000 for sham marriages!
If you take $25,000 for a sham marriage you're getting screwed and you're stupid.
Tell them you want $100,000 or no dice!
2007-09-08 18:03:28 · answer #5 · answered by tom p 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the statue of liberty said whatever the French wanted it to say they built it after all.
2007-09-08 17:42:13 · answer #6 · answered by Nick 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋