Ken Ngombwa, a 56-year-old man from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been convicted of naturalization fraud after a four-day trial in federal court. The evidence presented in court showed that Ngombwa knowingly made several material false statements to procure entry into the United States as a refugee from Rwanda in 1998.
Ngombwa falsely claimed to be the brother of Faustin Twagiramungu, a former Prime Minister of Rwanda, who lives in exile in Belgium. This was just one of several false statements made by Ngombwa in his bid to obtain US citizenship. The case against Ngombwa was referred to the Department of Homeland Security in 2011 by the Prosecutor General of Rwanda.
The jury convicted Ngombwa on four counts: one count of unlawfully procuring or attempting to procure naturalization or citizenship; one count of procuring citizenship to which he was not entitled; one count of conspiracy to unlawfully procure citizenship; and one count of making a materially false statement to agents of the Department of Homeland Security.
The conviction carries a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, $400 in special assessments, and 12 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Ngombwa also faces loss of his citizenship in the United States.
Ngombwa was ordered detained without bond following the return of the verdict. A detention hearing has been set for Wednesday, January 20, 2016, at 1:30 p.m. in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard L. Murphy and Ravi Narayan, and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case file number is 14-CR-00123 and can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The conviction serves as a warning to those who attempt to deceive the US immigration system. It is a reminder that the consequences of such actions can be severe, including loss of citizenship and lengthy prison sentences.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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