6-Month Sentence in Sham Marriage Scheme

Connecticut residents were paid to marry Moroccan nationals, investigators said.

One of the 10 people in Connecticut charged with setting up fraudulent marriages to help Moroccan nationals come into the United States was sentenced to six months in prison, time served.

Federal Homeland Security agents began an investigation into the marriage scheme in November, 2010.

According to court documents, Fouad Elhadiri , a conditional green card holder in the U.S., wanted his brother to move to the U.S. from Morocco, recruited a U.S. citizen, paid for her travel to Morocco, had her marry his brother, and then paid her expenses for a period of time after the false marriage. 

After entering the U.S., Elhadiri’s brother never lived with his wife, but instead lived with Elhadiri, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.  Elhadiri’s brother eventually became homesick and returned to Morocco.

When the brother’s wife and her friend informed Elhadiri that ICE-HSI agents were “asking questions,” Elhadiri told them to lie to agents about the false marriage, according to the Department of Justice.

On Dec. 1, 2011, Elhadiri pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Elhadiri, who has been detained since his arrest on October 6, 2011, will be deported to Morocco.

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