Related Federal Cases
California Woman Charged with Fraudulent Citizenship
ANTIOCH, California – In a shocking case of identity theft, 61-year-old Vivian Chike Obichere of Antioch, California, has been charged with fraudulently obtaining citizenship.
According to the indictment, Obichere submitted a fraudulent passport application using the identity of a deceased American citizen. The indictment also alleges that Obichere lied about her use of the false identity in her application to become a naturalized American citizen, which she filed in her own identity, and in the interviews concerning her naturalization application.
Obichere was arrested at her home early Friday morning, January 9, 2015, and made her initial appearance in federal court in San Jose that afternoon. She was released on bond, with bail set at $50,000.
The indictment alleges that Obichere faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1542 (false statement in application for a passport) and 1425(b) (unlawful naturalization), and a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1621 (perjury).
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Obichere’s next scheduled appearance is at 1:30 p.m. on February 9, 2015, before the Honorable Edward J. Davila, United States District Court Judge.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service’s representative to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The DBFTF is a multi-agency task force that coordinates investigations into fraudulent immigration documents.
Rita F. Lin is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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