USCIS Provided Assist Leading to Indictment On Charges Including Conspiracy To Commit Marriage Fraud

RALEIGH, N.C. — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted with a case leading to indictments including Marriage Fraud. Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging Edward Kumi Anguah, age 39, a United States citizen serving in the United States Army; Kwaphoom Eugene Hoomkwap, age 30, of Nigeria; Sulemana Ibrahim, age 39, of Ghana; and Kahmid Mohammed Murtada, age 34, a United States citizen serving in the United Sates Army, with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, harboring an alien to come to the United States, visa fraud, and false statement under oath.

If convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, harboring an alien to come to the United States, and visa fraud, Anguah, found in Cumberland County, would face maximum penalties of 25 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and harboring certain aliens to come to the United States, Hoomkwap, found in Cumberland County, and Murtada, found in Cumberland County, would face maximum penalties of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, harboring certain alien to come to the United States, visa fraud, and false statements under oath, Ibrahim, found in Cumberland County, would face maximum penalties of 25 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina lead by Homeland Security Investigations.

The USCIS DBFTF team provided document research, accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to serve an arrest warrant and participated in investigative interviews of suspects.

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