Jefferson City Attorney Sentenced for Marriage Fraud

Jefferson City, MO – A local attorney has been sentenced for his role in a marriage fraud conspiracy.

James Douglas Barding, 63, a Jefferson City attorney, was sentenced to one month in prison followed by one year of supervised release for his role in a marriage fraud conspiracy.

Barding pleaded guilty on August 4, 2015, to enlisting a U.S. citizen to marry Darya Chernova, a 41-year-old Ukrainian national who currently resides in Chandler, Ariz. The purpose of the conspiracy was for Chernova to remain in the United States and seek citizenship.

Chernova, who pleaded guilty on August 17, 2015, to her role in the marriage fraud conspiracy, was sentenced to three years of probation, including 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

The conspiracy involved Barding, an attorney and married U.S. citizen, having a long-running affair with Chernova, who entered the United States on a student visa. During the marriage, Chernova lived in Jefferson City and Barding was a frequent visitor and an overnight guest at her residence.

Barding admitted that he told another co-conspirator, a friend identified as T.D., that if he agreed to marry Chernova, he would not have to live with her and could get divorced after she gained sufficient status to remain in the United States. They were married on March 13, 2005, in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to keep the marriage a secret from persons they knew in Cole County, Mo.

Barding also admitted that he met Chernova and T.D. on April 20, 2010, the day before they were scheduled to be questioned by representatives of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, to go over their testimony and advise them to stick to their false stories regarding their fraudulent marriage.

Barding was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and will serve his one-month prison sentence followed by a year of supervised release. Chernova was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and will serve three years of probation, including 100 hours of community service.

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