US: Aunt and Nephew Arrested Over Immigration Fraud Scheme Involving Altered Birth Certificate
- USCIS flagged a suspicious petition that led to the arrest of Myra Paule Schulenburg, 46, and her nephew John Paule Rivera, 30, both of Colorado
- Schulenburg allegedly posed as Rivera's mother on federal immigration documents, attaching an altered Philippine birth certificate to support the false claim
- Rivera, a US Air Force serviceman, faces up to 10 years in prison on multiple charges and could be stripped of his US citizenship
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A woman and her nephew, a serving US Air Force member, have been charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud following an investigation in which US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) played a central role.
The US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri announced charges against Myra Paule Schulenburg, 46, and John Paule Rivera, 30.
Source: Getty Images
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Rivera faces counts of making false statements under oath on immigration documents, making false statements to a federal agency, unlawful procurement of citizenship, and misuse of citizenship evidence.
How the fraud unfolded
Schulenburg, a naturalised US citizen born in the Philippines, filed a Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative with USCIS in 2017, falsely identifying herself as Rivera's mother rather than his aunt.
She attached a doctored Philippine birth certificate to the petition and submitted it to USCIS's National Benefits Centre in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The petition was approved, granting Rivera lawful permanent resident status.
Rivera subsequently enlisted in the US Air Force and, while stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, applied for naturalisation. In that application, he declared under penalty of perjury that he had never provided false or misleading information to obtain immigration benefits. His citizenship was approved and conferred on 3 October 2022.
The scheme only came to light after Rivera, by then a US citizen, filed a legitimate petition for his actual mother to become a lawful permanent resident. He included his authentic Philippine birth certificate as supporting documentation.
USCIS flagged the discrepancy between that document and the one previously submitted by Schulenburg, triggering the investigation that resulted in the arrests.
Charges and potential penalties
The case was investigated jointly by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, USCIS's National Benefits Centre, and the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Schulenburg faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. Rivera faces up to 10 years on several of the immigration-related counts and could additionally be denaturalised, losing the US citizenship he obtained through the fraudulent process.
Authorities noted that the charges contained in the indictment are accusations and do not constitute evidence of guilt.
Trump warns foreigners lying to get citizenship
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US had warned naturalised US citizens who obtained their status through fraudulent means.
USCIS announced that federal authorities are actively working to identify and strip citizenship from those who lied during the naturalisation process.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
