Russian National Pleads Guilty for Immigration Bribe Attempts

A Russian national pleaded guilty to bribery following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

Klara Rayymkulova, 51, a Russian national, knowingly and intentionally offered $5,000 to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer to commit and aid in the committing of immigration fraud.

On May 1, 2011, Rayymkulova arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport, in Queens, N.Y., aboard Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, Turkey. Rayymkulova was traveling with her adult daughter and an adult male, and possessed a B1-B2 non-immigrant visa. Upon arrival for inspection, Rayymkulova presented to CBP inspectors a fraudulent business invitation letter. The date on the letter was altered, it referred to Rayymkulova as a male, and the phone number listed for the business was disconnected.

According to court documents, after questioning by a Russian speaking CBP inspector, Rayymkulova admitted the letter was fraudulent and that she had paid for the letter. During the processing, Rayymkulova offered the Russian speaking CBP inspector an unspecified amount of money so that she might remain in the United States. The CBP inspector terminated the interview and advised supervisors of Rayymkulova's offer.

During an interview with a ICE OPR special agent, Rayymkulova again reiterated an offer of money to remain in the United States and offered $5,000 for her release, and offered another $5,000 for her daughter's release that she would send from Russia.

Rayymkulova will be sentenced December 21, 2012. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Three Men Indicted for Bribing Immigration Officials

Three men, two from Atlanta and one from New York, appeared in federal court Thursday, September 6, 2012, on charges that they conspired to bribe a federal immigration official in return for assistance with their immigration status, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

A federal grand jury indicted Hakeem Omar, 30, Ibrahim Barrie, 31, and Samuel Bolay, 24, Aug. 21 for conspiracy and bribery, and OPR special agents arrested all three men Sept. 5.

"These defendants are charged with attempting to circumvent the immigration process by offering bribes to a federal agent," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. "The integrity of our immigration process has important implications for the security of our communities, and this case shows that we will take efforts to subvert this process seriously."

"The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility considers bribery of our employees an extremely serious offense, as these actions can potentially undermine the security of our nation. We swiftly investigate all bribery attempts and take appropriate enforcement action when warranted," said David P. D'Amato, special agent in charge of OPR for the Southeast Region.

According to information presented in court: Beginning in September 2010, and continuing until at least July, Omar, Barrie and Bolay paid bribes to an OPR special agent who was working in an undercover capacity, in exchange for immigration and other benefits.

Over a two-year period, the defendants paid thousands of dollars to the undercover special agent for what they believed was assistance with their immigration status in the United States, including naturalization assistance and obtaining a permanent resident card, commonly known as a green card.

The indictment charges Omar, Barrie and Bolay with conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, each defendant is charged with separate bribery counts related to each bribe paid by him, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum fine of $250,000, or three times the equivalent of their bribes, whichever is greater.

Lastly, defendant Omar, a naturalized citizen, also faces a charge of naturalization fraud, for which he faces 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. If convicted, all defendants likely face removal from the United States. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sentencing for Corrupt Former ICE Agent

A former special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was sentenced Friday, June 29, 2012, to 30 months in federal prison following a multi-agency investigation that revealed she illegally accessed, stole and transferred sensitive U.S. government documents to unauthorized individuals and obstructed HSI investigations.

Jovana Samaniego Deas, 33, of Rio Rico, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson following a two-day hearing that included testimony from three special agents detailing the harm Deas caused the agency. Deas pleaded guilty in federal court in February to 21 counts of obstruction and other corruption violations.

"Jovana Deas committed an egregious breach of the deep trust placed in our HSI special agents by the American people she swore to protect and serve," said Joe Jeronimo, special agent in charge of ICE's Western Region Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). "While her actions are atypical of the dedication and integrity demonstrated by the vast majority of ICE employees, this sentence should nonetheless send a message about the serious consequences facing those who would exploit their positions and violate that special trust. The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility will continue to investigate those individuals aggressively and seek their prosecution to the fullest extent of the law."

In her plea hearing, Deas admitted to abusing her position as a special agent to illegally obtain and disseminate government documents classified as "For Official Use Only." Some of the sensitive information Deas accessed was later discovered by Brazilian law enforcement on the laptop computer of her former brother-in-law, who has ties to drug trafficking organizations in Mexico and Brazil.

The indictment to which Deas pleaded guilty also charges her sister, Dana Maria Samaniego Montes, 40, of Agua Prieta, Mexico, with federal violations. Samaniego Montes is a fugitive believed to be residing in Mexico. She is a former Mexican law enforcement official with alleged ties to drug trafficking organizations.

Deas entered federal service in June 2003 as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the Nogales port of entry. In 2008, she became an HSI special agent and was assigned to HSI's office in Nogales. She was arrested by federal authorities in June 2011.

The federal corruption investigation was conducted by FBI and ICE OPR officers assigned to the FBI's Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force. The investigators were assisted by officers from HSI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the State Department's Consular Integrity Division and the Brazilian Federal Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Lacey of the U.S. Attorney's Office-District of Arizona.