Obtaining U.S. Citizenship by Fraud Lands Foreign Service Officer and Former Spouse in Prison

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California woman and Russian-born man were sentenced to prison for their involvement in a conspiracy to obtain U.S. citizenship by fraud.

Laura Gallagher, 32, a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, and Andrey Kalugin, 36, originally of Russia, were convicted at trial on September 10, 2021, for their roles in a conspiracy and obtaining citizenship by fraud.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Gallagher and Kalugin conspired to fraudulently obtain lawful permanent resident status and citizenship for Kalugin through their marriage.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the defendants met in law school in 2013. Kalugin was in the U.S. on a student visa that was due to expire in July 2015. The defendants 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 and lived separately from each other.

However, they continued with the immigration process. Gallagher, who was also a California-licensed attorney at the time of the conduct, then prepared for Kalugin an application for 319(b) expeditious naturalization, which is a benefit available to spouses of citizens who are regularly stationed abroad for their employment.

The defendants provided materially false responses in the application. Kalugin appeared for an interview on Feb. 5, 2018, with U.S. 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 U.S. Diplomatic and tourist passports. Shortly thereafter, Gallagher filed for divorce.

On [March 1, 2023], U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III sentenced Gallagher to 15 months in prison and Kalugin to 6 months in prison for their roles in the conspiracy and obtaining citizenship by fraud.

The district court judge also entered an order revoking Kalugin’s naturalization.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

White Collar Crime

Robert Theodore Walker, Wire Fraud, Nevada 1999

Jan 15, 1999

White Collar Crime

Christopher M. Arader, Asbestos Crime, PA 1999

Mar 16, 1999

White Collar Crime

Brian Scott Meredith, Wire Fraud, Missouri 2019

Jan 15, 2019

White Collar Crime

Kills In Sight, Wire Fraud, South Dakota 2023

Jan 15, 2023