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Man in fake marriage gets 18 mos. in prison
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Posted on Jul 21 2008
The federal court yesterday sentenced to 18 months in prison a man who engaged in a fake marriage to obtain an Immediate Relative status.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson ordered Mohamad Ruhul Amin to spend a total of one year and six months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, false statement in application for a passport, and subordination of perjury.
Munson gave Amin credit for the time he has already served in jail.
After completing his prison sentence, the defendant will be placed on three years supervised release.
Among the conditions of the supervised release is that Amin, a Bangladeshi, shall be turned over to an immigration official for deportation and that he shall perform 50 hours of community service.
Munson ordered the defendant to pay a $300 special assessment fee.
At the hearing, assistant U.S. attorney Eric O’Malley recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison followed by supervised release.
Attorney Colin Thompson, counsel for Amin, moved for a sentence of time served.
After the hearing, the judge remanded Amin into the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
A jury rendered a guilty verdict against the defendant on March 12.
O’Malley stated in the indictment that on May 9, 2007, Amin married Rose Mayo Reyes, a U.S. citizen. O’Malley said the purpose of the marriage was to enable Amin to obtain IR status under the CNMI immigration laws.
In exchange for the marriage, Amin allegedly provided Reyes with money and gifts worth several hundreds of dollars.
O’Malley said the two never lived and never intended to live together as husband and wife.
On Aug. 23, 2007, Amin asked Reyes to submit an application for her U.S. passport that would identify him as Reyes’ spouse.
On that day, Reyes submitted a Form DS-11 to the U.S. Passport Office on Saipan, indicating that she was married to Amin and replacing her family name with his.
Reyes pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an attempted illegal entry into the U.S. Last June, she was sentenced to two years of probation.
