The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boise reported that two Romanian nationals and former Blaine County residents face deportation following sentencing Monday in federal court for obtaining immigration benefits as a result of marriage fraud.
In a newss release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office identified the defendants, who were most recently living in Boise, as Victor Raul Fenesan, 32, and Claudia Luminita Beian, 34. Fenesan was convicted of obtaining a U.S. visa by fraud and Beian was convicted of unlawful procurement of U.S. citizenship.
The couple was living in Blaine County when the crimes occurred.
They were charged with the crimes in September 2012 and pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 12.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that both defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge to two years’ probation and fined $2,000. Lodge also ordered that Beian’s U.S. citizenship be revoked. Both are subject to deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that both Fenesan and Beian admitted in plea agreements to marrying U.S. citizens for the “sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits.”
“Neither Fenesan nor Beian resided with their spouses as husband and wife, but rather continued to reside together,” the news release states.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
“As this case demonstrates, abusing our immigration system to illegally obtain U.S. citizenship will not be tolerated,” stated Brad Bench, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle. “These individuals will have a lifetime to contemplate the devastating consequences of manipulating the process, back in their home country and without the life they started in the U.S.”
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
