ROCHESTER, NY – Jamar Thomas, 30, of Rochester, NY, was sentenced to one year in prison for orchestrating a marriage fraud scheme, according to Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr.
Thomas was convicted of conspiracy to encourage or induce an alien for private or commercial gain to reside in the United States in violation of law.
The scheme involved Jamar Thomas and United States citizen females, based in Rochester. Between November 2015, and September 2016, Thomas met with undercover federal agents and/or confidential informants in Rochester to discuss their sham marriage. He introduced the undercover agents or confidential informants to his co-conspirators and they provided their name, address, date of birth, and telephone numbers so that the undercover agents or confidential informants could file the necessary immigration forms.
The defendant told a Confidential Informant, who was not a United States citizen, but a native and citizen of Nigeria, that he could arrange fraudulent marriages between non-citizen males and United States citizen females known to him. Thomas said non-citizen males could pay $5,000 to marry his female co-conspirators in order to gain legal status in the United States.
On at least two occasions, women working for Thomas got married at a Town Clerk’s Office within the Western District of New York. On one occasion, the defendant was physically present and acted as a ‘witness’ to one such wedding. However, unknown to Thomas, the Town Clerk who performed the ceremonies was actually an undercover law enforcement agent.
Also charged and convicted in this case were Khaaliqa Kegler, sentenced to three years probation to include six months home confinement, Chimere Brooks, sentenced to two years probation, and Nadia Thomas, awaiting sentencing.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Cybercrime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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