Allegedly falsified documents to obtain status for friends and family members
Seattle – A 39-year-old Seattle resident was arrested today on a six-count indictment charging him with a scheme to submit false information to obtain immigration status for his friends and family members, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Mustafa Aman allegedly began submitting false information to government agencies as early as 2013 and continued with the conspiracy into 2024. Aman will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 this afternoon.
“Immigration fraud is a serious problem, and this is just one example. It is disturbing that this defendant repeatedly took advantage of our country’s generosity. This person, who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan, allegedly used fraud at every step of the process to bring others from Afghanistan to this country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Floyd. “Mr. Aman was granted citizenship because he was considered a trusted ally to the United States. Sadly, he exploited our generosity and used it against us.”
“Mr. Aman is charged with using his position and special knowledge of the U.S. immigration process to cheat the system for his own benefit, and that of his family and friends, said W. Mike Harrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “We hope this indictment serves as a reminder of the consequences for defrauding the United States and the importance of seeking American citizenship in a lawful way.”
According to the indictment, Aman used his knowledge of the immigration system and his knowledge of a United States defense contractor to conspire to help his friends and family members obtain status by fraud. He drafted fake letters of recommendation and assisted others in creating fake employee badges and letters of support. He made false statements to public officials, including members of the State Department and Congressional staff. Even with his own application he submitted a false statement saying that he was single when in fact he was already married.
The indictment alleges that, in 2014, Aman provided a fake recommendation letter to a coconspirator to be used in the coconspirator’s Special Immigrant Visa application. The individual had not worked for any American company in Afghanistan, but used a draft provided by Aman to claim he had worked for that same company. In 2016 Aman allegedly provided a forged letter of recommendation for use by a different person. And in 2022, Aman again assisted two other people with false letters of recommendation and false employment information to try to obtain Aghan Special Immigrant Visas for them.
Aman made repeated false statements about his marital status as well. He is charged with making a false statement in a passport application and with using a passport secured by a false statement. Further, he is charged with two counts of submitting false writing for his forged letters of recommendation for non-citizens seeking visas.
Conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and Department of State.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda McDowell and Ben Lauenroth.
Contact
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Communications Director Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov.
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