An Albanian national and his American wife have been charged with making false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.
Elvis Harizaj, a 25-year-old resident of Cherry Hill, and Natasha Flores, aged 27 from Newark, are accused of submitting false information to USCIS. The charges allege that Harizaj entered into a sham marriage with Flores in order to obtain permanent residency in the United States. On official forms submitted to USCIS, Harizaj reportedly claimed he lived with Flores, while Flores allegedly stated she had never been married before. However, it was revealed that Flores had previously been married to a Brazilian national who gained U.S. citizenship through their marriage.
Both individuals face charges of making false statements, which carry potential penalties of up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Additionally, Harizaj has been charged with marriage fraud.
The investigation was conducted by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane is representing the government in this case.
It is important to note that the charges outlined in the complaint are accusations at this stage; both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
