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Foreign Service Officer, Ex-Spouse Convicted in US Citizenship Scam
A federal jury in Virginia has convicted a California woman and her former spouse, a Russian-born man, of conspiracy and obtaining US citizenship by fraud. Laura Gallagher, 32, a Foreign Service Officer with the US State Department, and Andrey Kalugin, 36, were found guilty on Friday of orchestrating a scheme to defraud the US and obtain unlawful citizenship and passports.
The scheme began when the defendants met in law school in 2013. Kalugin was in the US on a student visa that was due to expire in July 2015. They married in June 2015 and submitted applications for Kalugin to obtain his ‘green card.’ The defendants moved from California to Virginia in March 2016, but split up soon thereafter. However, they continued with the immigration process.
Gallagher, who is also a California-licensed attorney, then prepared for Kalugin an application for 319(b) expeditious naturalization. The defendants provided materially false responses in the application, including that Kalugin was still in a good-faith marriage and intended to reside with Gallagher abroad and return with her to the US. Kalugin appeared for an interview on Feb. 5, 2018 with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Fairfax, where he repeated the false statements to the adjudicating officer.
After USCIS approved the application and he received his citizenship, Kalugin fraudulently obtained US Diplomatic and tourist passports. Shortly thereafter, Gallagher filed for divorce. Gallagher and Kalugin each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 4, 2022. Kalugin additionally faces mandatory revocation of his US citizenship.
Raj Parekh, Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, commended the dedication of the trial team and partners at the State Department in bringing the defendants to justice. ‘The jury’s verdict holds these two defendants accountable for orchestrating a scheme to defraud the United States and obtain unlawful citizenship and passports,’ Parekh said.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Raizza K. Ty and Morris R. Parker, Jr. Senior US District Judge T. S. Ellis, III accepted the verdict. A copy of the press release is located on the website of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-43.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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