iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
An Indian national living in Chicago, Illinois, has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.
Vikrant Chauhan, 35, a citizen of India living in Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who is handling the case, stated that on April 2, 2018, Chauhan married a female U.S. citizen in Worcester, Massachusetts. The marriage was fraudulent because Chauhan and the woman were not in a genuine relationship, never resided together, and entered the “contract marriage” only for the purpose of obtaining a Permanent Resident Card for Chauhan.
The investigators found that Chauhan submitted an application, using his Indian passport, to register permanent residence to the Department of Homeland Security citing the April 2, 2018, fraudulent marriage on June 1, 2018. Chauhan was interviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), during which his “wife” stated that she lived together with Chauhan in Connecticut in May 2019.
In November 2021, Chauhan was interviewed a second time by USCIS, during which he falsely claimed to continue to reside with his “wife” in Connecticut. He also falsely claimed that his “wife” was pregnant with his child.
During the conspiracy, the woman whom Chauhan married brokered multiple fraudulent marriages that were conducted in Hamburg, New York, and facilitated multiple USCIS interviews that were conducted in Buffalo, New York.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing of the case has been scheduled for January 26, 2024, before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
