Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Woman admits to marriage fraud

Former Ketchum resident pleads guilty in U.S. court

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By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boise reported Monday that a former Ketchum woman has pleaded guilty to unlawful procurement of U.S. citizenship.

In a news release, the woman was identified as Romanian national Ramona Alina Fenesan, 31. In a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she admitted Monday that she obtained citizenship in 2007 through a fraudulent marriage with a U.S. citizen.

The federal crime of unlawful procurement of U.S. citizenship is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 5 in U.S. District Court in Boise.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that Fenesan married the man in 2003 but that the couple never lived together. The news release did not state when she was in Ketchum.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

“U.S. citizenship is a privilege deserved only by those who obtain it legally,” Brad Bench, a special agent for Homeland Security Investigations, stated in the press release. “As this case shows, HSI will move aggressively to identify and prosecute fraudsters who corrupt the immigration process for personal gain.”

 

Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com

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