Marcus Taslim, Visa Fraud, California 2018

Folsom Man Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud, Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison and a $250,000 Fine

A 70-year-old man from Folsom, California, has pleaded guilty to visa fraud, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Marcus Taslim, a resident of Folsom, California, pleaded guilty to visa fraud on an unspecified date. According to court documents, Taslim brought a person from Indonesia to the United States in December 2018 to provide caregiving services for his mother. However, he obtained a nonimmigrant visa for the person through lies and false statements.

Taslim secured the visa by falsely representing to a consular officer that the person’s length of stay in the United States would only be one month, that she would be paid minimum and overtime wages under the laws of the State of California, that she would be paid bi-weekly and in full, and that he had paid the person’s one-month salary in advance.

However, the statements Taslim made to the consular officer were not true. For example, although Taslim paid the person what looked like one month of salary in advance, as soon as the consular officer received proof of that payment, Taslim ordered the person to withdraw that money and give it back to him, which she did.

Once in the United States, the person worked for Taslim for about six months. She typically worked seven days a week, beginning work as early as 5 or 6 a.m. and ending at about 8 or 9 p.m. Taslim paid the person far less than minimum wage, did not pay her bi-weekly and in full, and also confiscated her passport so she could not run away.

The case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service’s San Francisco Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong is prosecuting the case.

Taslim is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb. He faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Facts: Marcus Taslim, Visa Fraud, California, 12/2018. Defendant’s real full name: Marcus Taslim. Criminal charges: Visa Fraud. City and state: Folsom, California. Exact date: December 2018. Sentence or outcome: Pleaded guilty, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.