Three Kenyans face deportation for fraud marriages to get US citizenship
Three Kenyans living in the United States are facing deportation after being indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a marriage fraud conspiracy
Nellie Mbote, 35, Rogers Onyango Guche, 39, and Fidelina Mwelu Mutisya, 59, were found guilty by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, last month.
Mbote, who was admitted to the United States on a student (F-1) visa, is a naturalized US citizen. Guche, who was admitted to the United States on a student (F-1) visa and Mutisya, who was admitted to the United States on a visitor (B-2) visa, are lawful residents.
The federal indictment alleges that Mbote, Guche, and Mutisya entered into fraudulent marriages arranged by Delmar Dixon of Kansas City who was charged in a separate but related case.
Mbote was married in 2009; Guche and Mutisya married their spouses in 2007.
CIRCUMVENT LAW
The marriages were designed to circumvent federal immigration laws, the indictment says, in order to obtain permanent residency and/or United States citizenship.
The three defendants allegedly paid Dixon to arrange their marriages. They allegedly paid their US citizen spouses Sh100,000 ($1,000) at the time of the wedding and Sh10,000 ($100) each month until the immigration process was complete.
Mbote is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of making false statements, one count of making a false oath in a matter relating to naturalization and one count of unlawfully procuring citizenship.
Dixon and others allegedly coached Mbote, Guche, Mutisya and their spouses on how to make their marriages appear legitimate, by making it appear as if the couples were living together and encouraging the couples to get to know each other.
FRAUDULENT MARRIAGES
Dixon was charged in a separate but related case. He was sentenced in July 13, 2017 to three years in federal prison after admitting he arranged 30-40 fraudulent marriages.
The indictment contains a revocation of citizenship. If convicted, Mbote’s naturalization will be revoked and her certificate of naturalization canceled.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.