4 charged for marriage fraud

Four persons were indicted in federal court for allegedly conspiring in a fraudulent marriage solely in order for two of them to obtain green cards.

Qiong Lu Pua, Zhenqing Lu, Baoqin Ding, and Norma Nekaifes were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. In addition, Nekaifes and Lu were charged with marriage fraud.

The indictment was filed in federal court last April 22, but U.S. District Court for the NMI unsealed all documents and proceedings only last Thursday.

The U.S. government last week asked the court to unseal all documents and proceedings in this case, saying the need to seal the matter is no longer necessary since the defendants have either been arrested or are no longer in the U.S.

Federal agents arrested Pua last April 28 in Tumon, Guam. She was subsequently released on a $10,000 secured bond.

Pua pleaded not guilty. Attorney Timothy Bellas served as her court-appointed counsel.

Nekaifes was summoned to appear in court. The court ordered her pre-trial release.

At her initial appearance last April 29, she pleaded not guilty. Attorney Colin Thompson served as her court-appointed counsel.

The jury trial will be on July 6 for Pua and Nekaifes.

It is not clear yet whether defendants Lu and Ding are still in the CNMI or have already left.

According to the indictment, between June 2010 and July 2011 on Saipan, the four conspired to defraud U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the determination of eligibility for lawful permanent residency of a foreign national.

The purpose of the conspiracy was to fraudulently obtain permanent resident status for Lu and Ding through a fraudulent marriage.

In the summer of 2010, Pua allegedly approached Nekaifes and asked if her boyfriend, Benigno Mettao, would marry Ding so that she could receive a green card.

In October 2010, Pua, Nekaifes, Ding, and others met at Pua’s residence to discuss details of Ding’s fraudulent marriage to Mettao.

On Dec. 9, 2010, Ding married Mettao. Nekaifes and Pua attended the wedding and signed the marriage certificate as witnesses.

After the wedding ceremony, Pua and Nekaifes, among others, took staged photographs of the newlyweds at various places on Saipan, including Pua’s home.

Federal agents arrested Mettao last March 17 and an indictment was filed in court charging him with one count of false statement in connection with his alleged fraudulent marriage with Ding.

Sometime before January 2011, Pua allegedly approached Nekaifes and asked if she wanted to marry her brother, Lu, in exchange for $1,100 cash.

On May 10, 2011, Lu flew from China to Saipan. On the same day, Pua introduced Lu to Nekaifes, a U.S. citizen, for the purposes of the two entering into a fraudulent marriage.

On May 12, 2011, Lu and Nekaifes applied for a marriage license. Pua then allegedly made a partial payment to Nekaifes in the amount of $800 in exchange for her agreement to marry Lu.

On May 16, 2011, Lu married Nekaifes.

On July 18, 2011, Nekaifes submitted a Form I-130 wherein she petitioned USCIS for Lu to obtain immigration benefits.

Lu also submitted Form I-485 wherein he requested the U.S. to grant him permanent legal status based on his marriage to Nekaifes.