Arleigh Louison, Immigration Fraud, Vermont 2019
Brooklyn Man Indicted for Immigration Fraud Scheme
A Brooklyn man has been indicted for running an immigration fraud scheme, filing over 1,800 false applications with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Arleigh Louison, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested on July 18, 2019, in connection with the indictment, which charges him with making false statements in immigration documents.
The indictment alleges that Louison presented or caused the presentment of adjustment of status petitions containing false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Service Center in St. Albans, Vermont, claiming that the petitioners were victims of abuse.
The petitioners, who paid Louison for his services, did not discuss abuse with Louison, were not abused as described in the petitions, and did not authorize the statements made in the petitions Louison submitted to USCIS.
The indictment also charges that Louison fabricated fee waiver petitions on behalf of these individuals without their knowledge.
Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a person may be eligible to become a lawful permanent resident if they are the victim of battery or extreme cruelty committed by a U.S. citizen spouse or former spouse, a U.S. citizen parent, a U.S. citizen son or daughter, a lawful permanent resident (LPR) spouse or former spouse, or an LPR parent.
An initial VAWA petition utilizing Form I-360 is often filed in conjunction with separate forms for work authorization (I-765 Employment Authorization Document “EAD card”) and permission to travel outside the United States (I-131 Application for a Travel Document).
It is alleged that Louison submitted false information in the VAWA petitions so that the petitioners could secure EAD cards.
The charges against Louison are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the investigative efforts of agents of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners prioritize prosecution of large-scale, complex fraud in all its forms,” she stated.
“Profit-motivated immigration fraud is a serious offense, and we will treat it accordingly.
We thank our strong partners at DSS for consistently working so diligently with our prosecutors to hold white collar criminals accountable,”
Arleigh Louison, Making False Statements in Immigration Documents (12 Counts), Brooklyn, New York, July 18, 2019, Current Status: Indicted
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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