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Woman pleads guilty to lying in passport application
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Posted on Mar 16 2018
A woman indicted in federal court for allegedly lying in an application for a U.S. passport on behalf of her daughter pleaded guilty on Wednesday afternoon.
Bernieann Taitingfong Rahman pleaded guilty to false statement as part of a plea deal.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather L. Kennedy said her recommendation to accept the guilty plea will be referred to Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona. The setting of the sentencing shall be included in Manglona’s order.
Rahman submitted a form DS-11 application for U.S. passport to the CNMI passport office on July 6, 2017, on behalf of her daughter. She omitted the name of her daughter’s father in the form.
On Aug. 16, 2017, Rahman told Diplomatic Security Service resident agent in charge Marc Weinstock and special agent Joseph Kramer that she omitted the father’s name because, at the time, the only birth certificate she had of her daughter also omitted the father’s name.
This was a lie because Rahman had a birth certificate for her daughter that included the name of the father.
On Nov. 6, 2017, when confronted with the second birth certificate, Rahman said she omitted the father’s name because she could not find the second birth certificate and she was in a hurry.
She also stated in a written statement dated Aug. 16, 2017, that she did not obtain the father’s signature because she would have to spend more. (Ferdie de la Torre)
