Portland Couple Fakes Marriages for Green Cards

Marat Muslimov, 30, and Dziyana (Diana) Biruk, 29, both formerly of Portland, Maine, and now residing in Bronx, New York, have pleaded guilty to federal charges tied to a scheme involving sham marriages designed to secure lawful permanent resident status. The pair admitted to deceiving U.S. immigration authorities through lies, forged documents, and fabricated domestic arrangements—all to gain green cards under false pretenses.

Muslimov pleaded guilty to conspiracies involving marriage and visa fraud, along with making false statements to a government agency. Between September 2010 and August 2011, the Russian citizen conspired with a U.S. citizen to enter a fake marriage. He submitted fraudulent paperwork and lied under oath to immigration officials, claiming he was living as husband and wife in Portland—when in reality, he was cohabiting with Biruk, a Belarusian national, in the same city.

Biruk, for her part, pleaded guilty to visa fraud and making false statements to a government agency. In June 2012, she filed immigration documents based on a sham marriage to a different U.S. citizen. She falsely declared she was living with her purported husband in Hollis, Maine, while continuing to reside with Muslimov in Portland. The deception was layered, deliberate, and intended to exploit the immigration system for personal gain.

Both defendants now face steep penalties. Biruk could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined $250,000 on the visa fraud charge alone. The remaining charges against both Muslimov and Biruk carry maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will be determined after the U.S. Probation Office completes presentence investigation reports.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. Authorities uncovered discrepancies in residency claims, financial records, and witness statements that unraveled the couple’s web of deceit. The probe highlights ongoing federal scrutiny of immigration fraud, particularly schemes involving fraudulent marital claims.

U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II confirmed the pleas, underscoring that exploiting the immigration system through fraud undermines national security and legal immigration pathways. Assistant United States Attorney Darcie N. McElwee is prosecuting the case. As the sentencing date approaches, Muslimov and Biruk face not only prison time but the permanent consequences of felony convictions tied to betrayal of public trust.