Nigerian pastor arrested in US over alleged marriage, visa fraud
A Nigerian preacher has been arrested in Baltimore, Maryland, for allegedly trying to use his position to aid marriage and visa fraud in the United States.
This is according to a press statement issued by the concerned authorities.
“A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Joshua Olatokunbo Shonubi, a.k.a. Olatokunbo Joshua Shonubi, age 50, of Bowie, Maryland, for a federal charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and visa fraud and for presenting false documents to a federal government agency, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain permanent resident status for foreign nationals by arranging marriages to US citizens,” the statement read.
The indictment was returned on October 20, 2021, and unsealed today upon the defendant’s arrest.
Shonubi is expected to have an initial appearance today at 2:15 p.m., in US District Court in Baltimore before US Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and District Director Gregory L. Collett of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
According to the seven-count indictment, from at least January 2014 through January 2021, Shonubi, pastor of NewLife City Church, Inc. in Hyattsville, Maryland, engaged in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits for foreign nationals by arranging their marriage to United States citizens who served as their sponsors for permanent residence in the United States