United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED ON MARRIAGE FRAUD CHARGES

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIN IV, age 72, of Stockton, California, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to one year and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to defraud the United States and for marriage fraud. Judge Chatigny also ordered IV to pay a fine in the amount of $15,000 and to perform 100 hours of community service during his term of supervised release. Over the Government's objection, Judge Chatigny departed from the Sentencing Guidelines range of 27 to 33 months.

IV and three others previously pleaded guilty to charges relating to a marriage fraud scheme in which United States citizens residing in Connecticut and California were paid to travel to Cambodia and marry Cambodian nationals so that the Cambodians could obtain immigrant visas, permitting them to enter and live in the United States. When he pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on February 12, 2004, IV admitted that he caused U.S. citizens from Connecticut and California to travel from the United States to Cambodia. Once in Cambodia, the U.S. citizens participated in marriage ceremonies with Cambodian nationals who were strangers to them, in exchange for cash payments from IV, usually in the amount of $7,000. IV admitted that he usually paid part of the $7,000 to the U.S. citizens while they were in Cambodia to marry the foreign nationals; the remainder was to be paid to the U.S. citizens once their spouses obtained visas and/or arrived in the United States. IV further admitted that received money from family members of the foreign nationals – sometimes as much as $25,000 – as payment for arranging the fraudulent marriages with the U.S. citizens.

IV admitted that he told the U.S. citizens who entered into the marriages at his direction that they would not have to live with their Cambodian spouses once the Cambodians arrived in the United States, and that they would only have to stay married to their spouses for a limited period of time. IV admitted that between March 2001 and March 2003, he arranged at least 25 such fraudulent marriages, and that, in several instances, U.S. citizens from Connecticut traveled to Cambodia to enter into the marriages. IV admitted that he paid for these individuals' air fare, hotels and meals while they were in Cambodia, in addition to providing them with cash in exchange for their participation in the scheme.

Chan Champa, of Modesto, California, and Sourasay Sikhounmeuang and Christina Dixon, both Connecticut residents, also have pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and/or marriage fraud charges in connection with IV's marriage fraud scheme. All three are expected to be sentenced in the coming months.

"This prosecution demonstrates that federal law enforcement authorities are determined to prosecute schemes that are intended to evade our nation's immigration laws," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "Citizens of other countries who wish to immigrate to the United States must do so in accordance with the law, and will not be permitted to gain an unfair advantage over others by engaging in marriage fraud. Those individuals who seek to profit by brokering fraudulent marriages between U.S. citizens and foreign nationals will be punished."

This case has been investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has provided assistance in the investigation, as has the Torrington and Stockton (CA) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Biran.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov