POSSIBLE FRAUD RING FOR SHAM MARRIAGES

UNCLAS DAKAR 002065

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR CA/FPP
DEPT PLS PASS TO DHS/USCIS
PARIS FOR DHS/ICE
ECOWAS POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS KFRD SG
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE FRAUD RING FOR SHAM MARRIAGES


1. (SBU) Post's Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) suspects that Mishel M.
Kamara, a tax preparer in Maryland, may be arranging sham marriages
between low income Amcits and Sierra Leoneans solely for the purpose
of illegal immigration. Kamara works for MMK Tax Services LLC, 9420
Annapolis RS, Suite 202, Lanham, MD 20706, Tel: (301) 731-4105.


2. (SBU) While investigating two separate IR1 cases, the FPU noted
the following similarities between the cases that are unlikely to be
coincidental:

a) Both petitioners employed Mishal M. Kamara, with MMK Tax Services
LLC, to prepare their income tax returns.

b) Kamara or someone linked to Kamara introduced the petitioners to
their Sierra Leonean husbands.

c) Both petitioners are single parents who had extremely low incomes
that increased dramatically over a period of three years until they
met the threshold level required for the Affidavit of Support (AOS)
in 2004, the year the petitions were filed.

d) Both petitioners started working for the same company, Personal
Nursing Care Agency, after they met their husbands.

e) Both petitioners obtained their first U.S. passports a few months
before traveling to Sierra Leone to marry husbands they had not
previously met. Both petitioners left Sierra Leone shortly after
their weddings and have not seen their husbands since.

f) Both petitioners were married by Bishop Baughman at the United
Methodist Church of the Parish of St. Georges in Freetown, Sierra
Leone. The marriages took place one day apart, and the marriage
certificates were registered at the same time.


3. (SBU) Post suspects that Kamara has arranged these sham
marriages for the sole purpose of immigration. While Post plans to
conduct in-depth interviews of both husbands, one of the husbands
has already failed to appear for a scheduled interview. Since
Kamara's connection can be detected only through petitioner's tax
returns, it is difficult to identify additional cases that he may
have facilitated.


4. (SBU) Post requests that CA/FPP and NVC take appropriate action
to investigate whether Kamara is arranging additional sham marriages
solely for the purpose of facilitating illegal immigration.

JACOBS