Gurpreet Singh, Naturalization Fraud, NY 2024

Gurpreet Singh, 37, of Watertown, New York, was convicted today of naturalization fraud after a federal jury found he lied to U.S. immigration authorities to obtain citizenship while concealing a horrific crime: the sexual abuse of a child under 10 years old.

The trial, held in Syracuse, revealed Singh — a native of India — repeatedly told U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) he had never committed any crime for which he wasn’t arrested. These statements were lies. Federal prosecutors presented evidence that Singh was abusing a young child during the exact period he was applying for American citizenship.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) uncovered the truth after Singh eventually pleaded guilty in state court to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. By then, he had already been sworn in as a U.S. citizen — a status he would have been denied if the abuse had been known to authorities.

According to trial evidence, Singh deliberately concealed his criminal conduct, fully aware that his actions disqualified him from naturalization. His deception spanned multiple interviews and forms, each time swearing under penalty of perjury that he had no hidden offenses.

Now, Singh faces the consequences in federal court. On May 18, 2016, Senior District Judge Norman A. Mordue will sentence him. He could spend up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. His citizenship will be revoked as required by law.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Robert S. Levine. U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian called the betrayal of trust ‘an affront to the integrity of our immigration system.’