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| AP Photo/Chris Seward |
An Army soldier’s conviction on marriage fraud charges last week pulled the curtain back on what experts say is a problem within the military, with troops entering into sham unions with immigrants who are in the country illegally in order to earn more money for themselves and to help the migrants stay in the country.
Samuel Manu Agyapong, a Ghanaian immigrant who’d already won U.S. citizenship for himself, was found guilty of helping an undocumented immigrant — a fellow Ghanaian — through a bogus marriage.
Barbara Oppong parlayed it into a pathway to citizenship, while Agyapong got a significant boost in pay for being married.
According to prosecutors, Agyapong, a former sergeant, was part of a larger fraud ring at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where investigators exposed at least a half-dozen sham marriages, usually involving at least one person from Ghana looking to erase illegal status and gain a foothold here.
The conviction came Friday — about the same time that Homeland Security was announcing a new leniency program for immigrants with connections to the U.S. military, including speedier citizenship for them and their families. And for some deported veterans, the new policy will allow them a chance to return. --->READ MORE HERE
A former Army sergeant at Fort Bragg was convicted last week in a marriage fraud ring, a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said Tuesday.
Samuel Manu Agyapong, 34, was found guilty Friday on charges of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, aid and abet naturalization fraud, harboring an alien, visa fraud, theft of government property and trying to obstruct the testimony of a witness in an official proceeding, the release said.
Agyapong faces up to 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release following imprisonment when sentenced in October, the release said. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to related stories:
Eleven suspects charged for marriage fraud scheme involving immigrants, US Army soldiers
Former Fort Bragg sergeant convicted in marriage fraud ring
Military Marital Fraud On The Rise
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