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| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
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Former US State Department employees plead guilty to visa fraud Acey R. Johnson and Long N. Lee, a husband and wife team who were based in the American Embassy in Colombo, pleaded guilty to bribery and visa fraud at a hearing in the USA and face a minimum sentence of at least five years in prison and will forfeit US$ 750,000 in personal assets to the US government. A US State Department news release issued on Friday through the American Embassy in Colombo states: "Following a two-year multi-agency investigation led by the US State Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security the two pleaded guilty in the US District Court in Sacramento, California to charges related to their involvement in a large-scale visa fraud and alien smuggling ring. Johnson and Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States Government through bribery and visa fraud, bribery of public officials, and honest services wire fraud. The Bureau of Diplomatic Security received valuable assistance from the US Attorney's Office in Sacramento, California, the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section, agents with the FBI and several other state and federal agencies associated with the Joint Terrorism Task Force for the Eastern District of California, the US Embassy in Colombo the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and Sri Lankan authorities. "According to the terms of the agreement Johnson and Lee, who spearheaded a visa fraud operation during their assignment in Colombo, will each serve a minimum of at least five years in prison and will forfeit $750,000 in personal assets to the US Government. Also they agree to co-operate with the US Government in its investigation. Sentencing will be in 10 weeks. "Five of Johnson and Lee's co-conspirators previously entered guilty pleas with the US District Court for the Eastern District of California and are currently co-operating with the Government. Three defendants remain in this case, and the US Attorney's Office in Sacramento expects their trial date to be set shortly. "The scheme involved the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars by people in Sacramento and elsewhere to Johnson and Lee in exchange for the issuance of visas to various foreign nationals, primarily from Vietnam and India. "Illegal issuance of a US visa is a serious crime. The US State Department Bureaus of Diplomatic Security and Consular Affairs work collaboratively to detect, combat and prevent visa fraud or other criminal activities that threaten the integrity of US visas and passports." |
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