CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On March 16, a federal jury in Charlotte convicted Gregory Maxwell Palmer, 48, a naturalized citizen of Jamaica, of naturalization fraud. U.S. District Decide Frank D. Whitney presided over the two-day trial.
Enforcement and Elimination Operations (ERO) Atlanta Discipline Workplace Director Sean Ervin and U.S. Legal professional Dena J. King made the announcement.
“Palmer’s makes an attempt to use our nation’s immigration system have been found and now he faces the results of his actions,” mentioned Ervin. “ERO and its legislation enforcement companions will proceed to focus on those that search to violate the sanctity of the U.S. immigration system.”
“Palmer used lies and deceit to cheat his means into an American citizenship,” mentioned King. “At the moment’s responsible verdict holds Palmer accountable for his actions and sends a warning message to those that try and compromise the integrity of our naturalization course of and violate our nation’s immigration legal guidelines: You’ll not go unpunished.”
In keeping with filed paperwork, proof offered at trial and witness testimony, whereas Palmer was residing in Gastonia in 2008, he sexually abused a minor. Palmer later obtained his U.S. citizenship fraudulently by offering materially false info on his citizenship utility. Trial proof established that throughout the naturalization course of, Palmer lied about his legal historical past and did not admit that previous to making use of for citizenship, he had knowingly dedicated sexual acts with a toddler.
In keeping with proof, on Might 5, 2011, Palmer utilized for naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS). Palmer lied on the appliance type by responding “No” to the query “Have you ever ever dedicated a criminal offense or offense for which you weren’t arrested?” Palmer signed the shape below penalty of perjury and authorized that his solutions have been true and proper.
On Oct. 5, 2011, Palmer appeared on the USCIS workplace in Charlotte for a naturalization interview. In the course of the interview, Palmer swore below oath that his responses on the naturalization utility have been true and that he had by no means dedicated a criminal offense for which he had not been arrested. On Oct. 20, 2011, Palmer participated in a naturalization ceremony on the USCIS workplace in Charlotte and was granted U.S. citizenship.
In keeping with courtroom information, on June 6, 2013, within the Gaston County Superior Courtroom, Palmer pleaded responsible to tried statutory rape and was ordered to serve between 157 and 198 months in jail. Palmer admitted to having dedicated the crime on June 17, 2008, by profiting from a place of belief with a minor sufferer. Palmer was not arrested for the crime till after he turned a naturalized citizen. Courtroom paperwork present that whereas Palmer was going by means of the naturalization course of, immigration officers weren’t conscious of his legal actions.
Palmer is presently serving a state jail sentence. The utmost penalty for illegal procurement of citizenship is 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fantastic. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making the announcement, King thanked ERO for its investigation and credited Operation False Haven, which led to Palmer’s conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Smith and Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Charlotte are main the prosecution.
Operation False Haven is an ongoing ICE initiative with help from ERO and Homeland Safety Investigations’ (HSI) Doc and Profit Fraud Process Drive and the U.S. lawyer’s workplace. The operation identifies and prosecutes little one molesters and different egregious felons who have been convicted after petitioning for immigration advantages, of crimes they dedicated previous to making use of.
Since 2019, Operation False Haven has resulted in 56 legal instances, 26 civil instances, 21 convictions, 15 judicial revocations of citizenship, and 7 judicial removing orders towards defendants convicted of crimes involving serial rape, little one molestation, incest, little one pornography, kidnapping, narcotics trafficking, cash laundering, tax fraud, prescription fraud, embezzlement, aggravated id theft, and elder abuse. As one in every of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal legislation enforcement authority in control of home immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to guard the homeland by means of the arrest and removing of those that undermine the security of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration legal guidelines, and its main areas of focus are inside enforcement operations, administration of the company’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who’ve acquired last orders of removing. ERO’s workforce consists of greater than 7,700 legislation enforcement and non-law enforcement help personnel throughout 25 home subject workplaces and 208 areas nationwide, 30 abroad postings, and a number of non permanent obligation journey assignments alongside the border.
For extra information and knowledge on how the ICE ERO Atlanta subject workplace carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, observe us on Twitter @EROAtlanta.