Marriage Fraud Scheme Lands Final Defendant in Federal Prison

HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a marriage fraud ring between Nigerian nationals and U.S. citizens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez along with Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston, District Director Tony Bryson of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) – District 33 and Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (OIG).

A federal jury convicted Letrishia Andrews on April 24, 2017, following a five-day trial and approximately four hours of deliberation along with Folarin H. Alabi, 35, and Justice Daniel, 42, on multiple counts to include conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, aiding/abetting marriage fraud, marriage fraud, theft of government funds and false statements.

“Obtaining citizenship through fraud threatens the integrity of our immigration system and disrespect's every person who played by the rules to achieve it,” said Dawson. “HSI special agents will continue to work with our partners to ensure that those who use criminal and immoral means to achieve the honor of becoming a United States citizen - will be brought to justice.”

Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Andrews to serve a total of 24 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $5,629.00 to the Department of Agriculture. The ringleader - Alabi - was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison. He and Daniel are not U.S. citizens and expected to face deportation proceedings following their release. A total of 11 defendants have been convicted in two separate, but related, cases of marriage fraud in a scheme involving Nigerian nationals and U.S. citizens. The other eight had pleaded guilty for their respective roles - Nigerian citizen Ifeoma Adamolekun, 41, and U.S. citizen Charles R. Warren, 44, in the Alabi case as well as U.S. citizens Anisha Gable, 35, Anthony Andrews, 29, Shakietha Joseph, 42, and Trevor Frenney, 42; and Nigerians Michael Nathan, 38, and Hauwa Bello, 39. They were previously sentenced to terms ranging from probation to 12 months and a day in prison. All 11 defendants had resided in Houston.

A “sham” marriage is a marriage that is entered into for the primary purpose of circumventing the immigration laws. All 11 defendants conspired together in connection with a marriage fraud ring involving arranged these “sham” marriages between recruited U.S. citizens and recruited Nigerian nationals. Evidence at trial revealed Alabi would search for and recruit Nigerian nationals at nightclubs.

The defendants would pay U.S. citizens for entering into fraudulent marriages to Nigerian nationals who had originally entered the country on tourist visas. The conspirators would then complete immigration documents and falsely submit them to CIS to obtain legal permanent resident status. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants would take staged photographs of themselves as a couple for documentation of an allegedly meaningful relationship. The conspirators also coached the recruits and/or the Nigerian nationals on what to say when questioned or interviewed by law enforcement or immigration officials about the legitimate nature of the marriages. 

At trial, the government presented evidence that Alabi recruited Nigerian nationals, including Daniel, to enter into “sham” marriages with U.S. citizens to deceive immigration authorities and ultimately gain lawful permanent status in the Unites States. The evidence proved Daniel did knowingly marry Andrews, a U.S. citizen, for the for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws of the United States. At the time of this conspiracy, Alabi and Daniel were citizens of Nigeria and had entered the U.S. temporarily on non-immigrant visas.  

The jury also heard that Andrews submitted false SNAP applications claiming to be single, while at the same time, filing sworn immigration documents claiming to be married to Daniel.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that Andrews and Daniel had marital issues but were in a legitimate marriage despite all the documents and testimony to the contrary. The jury did not believe their claims and found them guilty as charged.  

HSI, and CIS - Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate conducted the joint investigation along with Department of Agriculture - OIG. The agencies work together on the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force which was established to combat these types of crimes in which fraudulent representations are made to multiple government agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Bennett and Julie Searle are prosecuting the case.