RALEIGH, N.C. — A sergeant and a personal at Fort Bragg sought to set up sham marriages between soldiers and immigrants, providing money, housing benefits and furniture as motivation for possible brides, based on federal court papers.
Arrest warrants had been issued week that is last Sgt. Edward Kumi Anguah, referred to as “the facilitator” associated with conspiracy, and Pvt. Ahmid Mohammed-Murtada, a recently naturalized resident from Ghana serving in a Fort Bragg Army device, court public records show.
The research started in when an agent for the Department of Homeland Security interviewed Pvt december. Endasia East about having an event by having a solitary soldier while married to Sulemana Ibrahim, based on an unlawful problem filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of vermont.
Through that meeting, ” the marriage had been verified by her had been in reality fraudulent,” in accordance with court public records.
On its russian male order brides prices web site, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services claims it will not recognize “relationships entered into for purposes of evading immigration legislation.”
Mohammed, about marrying Ibrahim, who wanted to gain lawful permanent residence, an affidavit said as he is called in court records, served in the same unit with East and approached her. Court public records show Ibrahim ended up being a resident of Ghana residing in ny for a tourist visa that expired in 2018 july.
Included in the deal, East would be to get a Basic Housing Allowance stipend, typically $1,000 or higher, 2 months’ rent totaling $1,250 and furniture for a fresh apartment that is off-post.
East and Ibrahim married in the Cumberland County Courthouse in July, then East went along to supper with Anguah, whom stated he arranged numerous marriages that are fraudulent the affidavit stated.
“She had been told through Sgt. Anguah and personal Mohammed that she will have to stage photos with Ibrahim to make the wedding look legitimate,” relating to documents.
The 2 soldiers additionally instructed East to put Ibrahim on the apartment rent to offer the looks he lived in Fayetteville instead of ny, documents said. She additionally included him to solution member life insurance coverage papers.
“Private East stated Sgt. Anguah had expected her for him to arrange marriages to,” the affidavit said if she was willing to find additional soldiers. “She told Sgt. Anguah she could be regarding the search.”
East later called Anguah and talked about a friend “interested in doing the thing that is same i am doing with Ibrahim,” documents stated, to which Anguah replied, “Yeah.”
In January, an undercover officer met Anguah at a Starbucks in Fayetteville and told him she desired $800 to marry an immigrant, and Anguah advised $2,000 rather. Later on, the affidavit stated, she had been told by him he had been likely to get $6,000 and just take a cut.
“Sgt. Anguah claimed he’d care for the band and ‘everything,'” the affidavit stated.
On Monday, Anguah called the representative with a person whom identified himself as Kwaphoom Eugene Hoomkwap at risk. Regarding the phone, Hoomkwap stated he desired to log off work in nyc to obtain hitched in Fayetteville, court public records stated.
On Thursday, they came across during the Fayetteville courthouse for the marriage permit.
Federal arrest warrants had been granted Thursday for Hoomkwap, Ibrahim, Mohammed-Murtada and Anguah on fees of wedding fraudulence, abuse of visas and aiding and abetting.
