Two people arrested in green marriage paper, as a result of internet ads

After more than a year, federal prosecutors claim is a sham marriage, Kalinina and her 30-year-old husband, Benjamin C. Adams, were arrested last week in separate houses.

When Y.Kalinina 24 years old turned to the web in search of her husband, she made it very clear that she is looking for in a relationship: "Green Card Marriage -. Will pay 300USD by month. Total 15000USD," the Russian team resides in Los Angeles wrote in an ad placed on the Craigslist website. "This is strictly platonic business offer, the no intim involved." In the event that the potential Romeo did not take the hint, he added, "is not required to live together."

Kalinina direct approach was very attractive, paying attention not only to the man who would marry her, but also agents of the US Immigration and Customs control. After almost two years, federal prosecutors claim was a sham marriage, Kalinina and her 30-year-old husband, Benjamin C. Adams, were arrested last week in separate houses. Prosecutors say Kalinina leased Adams new Ford Mustang for his trouble. He also took care of the wedding events: the ceremony was Dmitri Chavkerov, parishioner of the Internet that was also mate Kalinina room.

"I guess that's pretty blatant example of marriage fraud," said Assistant US Atty. Curtis A. Kin, one of the attorneys in the case.

Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of ICE investigations in Los Angeles, said that this is the first criminal case, he was aware of in which people would use the Internet to plan a fraudulent marriage in hopes of getting a greencard. According to a criminal complaint filed in US District Court in Los Angeles, Kalinina began advertising in the personal section of Craigslist ads in 10/2005.

He has published at least eight ads, most of them under the name "Green Card Marriage - pay 300USD by month. Total 15000USD." According to court documents, ICE agents have received email from Google account Kalinina, where she and Adams discussed their marriage potential. "How long should it continue?" Adams would ask, according to 09/01/2006, via e-mail. "The wedding will take probably 2-3 years," said Kalinin.

Then Adams said Kalinin, which is a bad loan and asked to rent a car for him in exchange for agreeing to marry her, the complaint alleges. They were married 17/02/2006. A month later, Kalinina leased Adams 2006 Ford Mustang, the state documents. This April, the couple filed papers seeking to establish a permanent residence permit for Kalinina.

Faced ice Agents months later, government documents, Kalinina and her friend - a man who made a wedding ceremony - provided the Adams marriage was a fraud intended to obtain a green card. Marrying her boyfriend would do nothing to help her immigration status, because it is in the country illegally.

Attorney Dale Rubin, who is Kalinina, said that his client has a pending asylum application, but was concerned that would not have been met, before she had to leave the country. According to Kalinin I did not know it was illegal to marry for a green card, which according to him, shows a blatant language in its announcement. "For some reason, if you are from Russia, in his opinion, the way to get around this, to throw money at it," he said.

Rubin also accused federal agents investigating the case to sit and wait for his client to commit a crime, and not to warn her that he offered in the advertisement has been a violation of the law. "They knew about this from day one," said Rubin, adding that agents scan Internet advertising has found a lot before the wedding. "They go to her and say that you should go that way? No. I'm waiting until you have not a crime."

Kalinin, a small, quiet blonde, appeared in court Thursday, shackled at the waist and wearing chains. He listened to the proceedings through an interpreter as Rubin asked US Magistrate Judge Jennifer T. Lum, to release his client on a 15000USD cash bond. Rubin said Lum Kalinin is currently in the country legally, had no criminal record and faces a maximum of six months in prison for his crime.

He also has a long-awaited trial on his case for asylum is scheduled for next Thursday, in which it will state that is persecuted in his native Russia because of her Armenian heritage, he said. If convicted of fraud marriage, she faces deportation after serving his sentence. "She has every incentive to do with this matter," he said.

Lum ordered Kalinina released on 25000USD cash bond and placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring. The lawyer of Adams, deputy federal public defender John Littrell, declined to comment.

Susan MacTavish, press officer of Craigslist, said in an e-mail that about 30 million ads posted on the site every month, and that users tend to "stop" does not comply. In addition, he wrote: "We use a wide range of technical measures to prevent fraudulent activities and are constantly working on adding any ads that are against our terms of use and our attention we take down immediately, and we work closely with law order. bodies when an event occurs. "

Frank Johnston, assistant special agent in charge of ICE investigations in Los Angeles, said he was not particularly surprised by the blatant language in Kalinina advertising. "This is just a sample of what is out there on the Internet," talk he.

More here:  www.latimes.com/local/la-me-craigslist7dec07-story.html