Liban Mumin Afrah, Visa Fraud, New York 2026

Liban Mumin Afrah, 42, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to time served and a fine of $2,000 for visa fraud in New York.

A federal judge in Buffalo handed down the sentence to Afrah, who was convicted of possessing a visa secured by fraud. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.

Afrah, a Canadian citizen originally from Somalia, entered the United States from Canada in 1996 and applied for asylum under the alias Ali Hussein Ali. At the time of the fraudulent asylum application, the defendant had already been granted asylum by Canada under his real identity and was residing in Canada.

Afrah was granted a green card by the United States under the false identity Ali H. Ali and traveled between the United States and Canada using both his Canadian passport under his real identity and his fraudulently obtained United States green card. The defendant most recently renewed his green card under his fake name in June 2015.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who handled the case, stated that Afrah’s actions were a brazen attempt to deceive the U.S. immigration system. ‘This case highlights the importance of verifying the identity of individuals seeking asylum and immigration benefits,’ Lamarque said.

The case is a reminder that immigration officials take visa fraud seriously and will pursue those who attempt to defraud the system. As Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. noted, ‘We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who seek to defraud our immigration system are held accountable.’

For more information, contact Barbara Burns at (716) 843-5817 or (716) 551-3051.

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