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Immigration Solicitors

Gang sentenced to more than 52 years for “sham marriage” immigration scam (27 October 2016)

Date: 27/10/2016
Duncan Lewis, Immigration Solicitors, Gang sentenced to more than 52 years for “sham marriage” immigration scam

Wolverhampton Crown Court has jailed 11 people, after they were found guilty of facilitating and participating in sham marriages between European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and non-EEA nationals.

On 7 September 2013, a marriage was disrupted in Stoke between two individuals who later admitted that it was a sham – a police investigation identified Olatunji George, 41, Clemence Marijeni, 43, and Donald Nwachukwu, 42, as the key facilitators of the sham marriage.

As part of an immigration scam, the defendants created packs for individuals containing forged passports, wage slips and bills, and would charge between £2,500 and £3,500 for each pack. The trio then submitted residence card applications to the Home Office, based on relationships and marriages that we not genuine.

Following three trials, 11 defendants were found guilty and on Friday, 21 October and were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Olatunji George was found guilty in his absence of ten counts of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law. He was sentenced in his absence to a total of ten years, while Donald Nwachukwu was found guilty of 12 counts of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of eight years.

Clemence Marijeni was found guilty of nine counts of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law, one count of facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law, one count of possession of apparatus/an article or material with prohibited intention – and one count of forgery. He was sentenced to a total of ten years.

Cherene Cotterell, 30, was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of two years – while Victor Ibeh, 32, was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of three years.

Peter Fredrick, 27, was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of three-and-a-half years. Lenka Jakova, 38, was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of two years.

Idris Agia, 31 was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of three-and-a-half years –
while Josef Puzo, 28, was found guilty in his absence of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced in his absence to a total of five years.

Pavel Farbar, 30 was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of two years – and Aishatu Ibrahim, 25 was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law and sentenced to a total of three-and-a-half years.

After sentencing, Wendy Stevens – Senior Crown Prosecutor from the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service's Complex Casework Unit – said:

“As this case demonstrates, the Crown Prosecution Service is working closely with the Home Office and the local criminal justice system to detain and prosecute those who are involved in abusing our immigration system.

"The ring leaders in this sophisticated sham marriage operation exploited vulnerable people in order to gain financially through their illegal activities.

“They would charge thousands of pounds in order to create packs which contained false documents, which they would then use to submit applications to the Home Office. They would then proceed to facilitate sham marriages between EEA and non EEA nationals.

“These gang members have been sentenced to a total of more than 52 years for their part in this immigration marriage fraud.”

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