Myrlene Charles, a Haitian national who resides in Randolph, Mass., had her U.S. citizenship revoked for fraudulently obtaining a green card and U.S. citizenship, a federal judge ruled yesterday.
In an Order handed down yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young held that Charles procured her U.S. citizenship unlawfully by concealing and misrepresenting material facts while applying for immigration benefits. The Court’s Order was based, in part, on false statements that the defendant made while applying for a green card and citizenship. Such statements included that she was single, that she had never used other names, and that she had never been ordered removed from the United States.
During a January 2020 trial, the evidence established that Charles used a photo-switched passport to enter the country in 1990 under the name “Mimose Delphonse;” unsuccessfully applied for asylum and was ordered deported under the names “Iviarta Dastino” and “Ivierta Dastino” in the 1990s; and subsequently concealed such events when she applied for a green card in 1996 and for citizenship in 2005 as “Myrlene Charles.” The defendant also hid the fact that she was married in 1996 when she applied for a green card under a category reserved for unmarried people.
The government learned of Charles’ use of multiple identities and immigration fraud through fingerprint analysis. This analysis allowed the government to digitize ink fingerprints taken when Charles entered the country under her first claimed identity using a fraudulently photo-switched passport. The government matched those fingerprints with electronic fingerprints taken years later when Charles used her third claimed identity during her naturalization proceedings.
“U.S citizenship is a privilege and the ultimate benefit that can be conferred in our immigration system,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Here, the defendant repeatedly undermined the integrity of our immigration laws through the use of significant, ongoing false statements about her true identity. People cannot defraud the immigration system, and claim the benefits of that system, at the same time.”
U.S. Attorney Lelling and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Joseph (Jody) H. Hunt made the announcement today. This case was investigated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna of Lelling’s Civil Division and Deputy Chief Kathleen Connolly and Trial Attorney Steven Platt of the Justice Department handled the case.
Charles’ case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of immigration fraud. The government will continue to hold accountable those who seek to exploit our system for personal gain.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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