Portland man pleads guilty to marriage fraud scheme
PORTLAND, Maine – A Portland man pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to aiding and abetting visa and marriage fraud and making false statements. The guilty plea follows an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Adam Mack, 39, who is both a former state representative and Maine Notary of the Public, knowingly helped facilitate sham marriages between foreign nationals from Russia and Ukraine and U.S. citizens.
“Those in a public position of trust have a civic obligation to hold themselves beyond reproach,” said Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI New England. “Each and every marriage fraud scheme corrupts the integrity and fairness of our nation's immigration system, and is all the more egregious when a public servant is found to be complicit in that corruption.”
According to court records, between October 2009 and January 2012, Mack unlawfully assisted foreign nationals who were seeking to become a lawful permanent residents, or green card holders, by engaging in marriage and visa fraud. He also made false statements regarding his employment of them to USCIS.
Mack faces up to 10 years in prison on the visa fraud charges, and up to five years on the marriage fraud and false statement charges. He also faces fines of up to $250,000 on each charge. He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
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