Winter Haven resident Enite Alindor, a/k/a Odette Dureland, 56, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Tampa on charges of obtaining U.S. citizenship by fraud and making false statements during the naturalization process. The verdict marks a major win for federal immigration authorities cracking down on identity concealment and document fraud.
Alindor, a Haitian national, first applied for asylum in February 1997 through the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Miami under her real name. When that bid failed, she was ordered removed from the United States in absentia by an immigration court—a final order she deliberately ignored. Instead of complying, she resurfaced under a new identity: Odette Dureland.
Posing as Dureland, Alindor filed a second asylum application, concealing both her prior INS application and the outstanding removal order against her. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), unaware of the deception, approved the fraudulent petition. In July 2012, she was naturalized as a U.S. citizen—under a name that was never hers.
The scheme unraveled as part of “Operation Second Look,” a sweeping Department of Homeland Security initiative targeting non-citizens who illegally obtained citizenship by hiding past deportation orders. Investigators uncovered Alindor’s dual identities and the falsified trail she left through INS and USCIS channels over two decades.
“When individuals lie on immigration documents, the system is severely undermined and the security of our nation is put at risk,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “HSI places a high priority on investigating document and benefit fraud.” USCIS Tampa Acting District Director Tracy Tarango added, “This conviction sends a clear message that attempting to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship will not be tolerated.”
Alindor now faces sentencing on June 7, 2018. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with support from USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security in Tampa and the USCIS Asylum Office in Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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