January 15, 2008

Toledo man stripped of his U.S. citizenship after naturalization fraud

TOLEDO, Ohio - A local resident had his U.S. citizenship revoked and will be deported for fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Mohammad Abdul Mohi, 54, a resident of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced after pleading guilty in September to procuring his U.S. citizenship by fraud. As part of his sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Corbett O'Meara revoked Mohi's U.S. citizenship and ordered him deported to his native India.

This naturalization fraud investigation was initiated by ICE after it was discovered that Mohi was a convicted sex offender in Michigan. He applied to become a U.S. citizen in October 2003. While Mohi's citizenship application was pending approval, he was arrested in February 2004 on seven counts of criminal sexual conduct, four counts of providing alcohol to minors, and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Mohi appeared for his citizenship interview in June 2004. He untruthfully responded to his interviewer that he had never been arrested. Based on his inaccurate responses, Mohi was fraudulently granted U.S. citizenship in July 2004. Court documents later established that Mohi lied orally and in writing to immigration authorities regarding his previous arrest for criminal sexual conduct and furnishing of alcohol to a minor.

"Becoming an American citizen is a privilege, not a right," said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Detroit. "Obtaining citizenship through fraud is an affront to every person who has played by the rules. Our ICE special agents will continue to work with our partners in the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who take this dishonorable approach are stripped of the ability to call themselves Americans."

This case was prosecuted by Mark Jebson, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Michigan.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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