Iraqi national sentenced in Kansas to 2 years in federal prison for visa fraud
Former U of Kansas graduate student lied that he had been a translator for the US Army
KANSAS CITY, KAN. — An Iraqi man, who had been a graduate student at the University of Kansas, was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to two years in federal prison for lying on a visa application.
This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Goran Sabah Ghafour, 35, who had been living in Lawrence, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of visa fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
In his plea, Ghafour admitted he applied for a U.S. visa under a program allowing Iraqi nationals who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq to qualify for a visa. Ghafour fabricated a letter from a U.S. Army officer recognizing Ghafour’s work, to support a false claim that Ghafour worked as a translator for the U.S. Army. In fact, the officer whose name appeared as the author of the letter did not know Ghafour and did not consent to Ghafour writing the letter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley prosecuted this case for the District of Kansas.
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