Russian Marriage Scam Targets Local Women (WKRC-Cincinnati)

Russian Marriage Scam Targets Local Women
Last Update: 8:34 am (4/29/08)

A Local 12 investigation uncovers an international marriage fraud ring targeting young, local women.

They are paid to marry Russian men so they can fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship.

Local 12's Rich Jaffe found in more ways than one, it's a ring of deceit.

On December 12, 2006, Rachel Poor married Russian citizen Pavel Shlykov in Hamilton County.
Investigators say both got something out of the deal. She got money, and he got a shot at becoming a U.S. Citizen.

Marriage fraud is a crime on the local and federal level and, as you'll see, it's a lucrative proposition in the Tri-State.

Recently arrested for welfare fraud in Clermont County, the investigators' affidavit in Rachel Poor's case lays out the deal she made. It says Poor "would receive cash lump payment, cash monthly payments, and a promised future lump sum payment in exchange for aiding (Shlykov) obtain citizenship."

Poor says she was told by the woman who put the deal together "She could make easy money by marrying a Russian."

"I worried about her safety," said Margaret Dolch, Rachel Poor's grandmother. "Because of the threats, don't mess with them. It was kind of put out there that don't threaten them, you don't know who you're messing with kind of thing."

Poor's family members say she only received a few payments and new husband Pavel Shlykov left for New Jersey shortly after they were married.

Local 12's investigation found Poor and Shlykov are just one of several illegal unions formed here over the past couple of years.

In January of 2007, Stephanie Renee Dunn married Iosif Turov.

In September of 2006, Rracy Cecil married Grigor Hakobyan.

In June of 2006, Samantha Rehn married Kamo Margaryan.

They're all local women who admit they were paid to marry foreign men in order to help them gain citizenship.

One woman Local 12 spoke to is married to just such a man. Concerned about her safety, we agreed to protect her identity.

"He kind of tossed it at me as a marriage, but not. Me and him hung out quite a few times, he knew my situation, knew I needed money. He was gonna pay me after I married him, and so much a month. Three hundred dollars a month."

In Hamilton County, marriage licenses are granted through probate court. Judge Jim Cissell says shortly after he took office in 2003, his staff became aware of an unusual number of questionable marriages, many involving Russians or former Soviet citizens.

In 2005, Cissell's office provided a lengthy list of those marriages to immigration officials. He provided another such list, this past December.

"There were a number of folks coming from former USSR countries that were getting marriage licenses," said Judge Cissell. "They were generally accompanied by a third party and the couples getting married oftentimes appeared not to know each other, and in turn to have some communication problems between themselves which indicated a little suspicious activity."

Immigration and customs enforcement, or ICE agents, began looking at Cissell's list, and in September of 2007, they caught, prosecuted and deported Kamo Margaryan for his fraudulent 2006 marriage to Samantha Rehn, 20.

Marriage to obtain citizenship is a federal crime and carries penalties of up to five years in prison plus fines and deportation.

The sham marriages Local 12 discovered being brokered here in the Tri-State usually involve young mothers on welfare. Most of them also have minor criminal histories. Until last fall, the two shadowy Russian women arranging these deals, known only as Elena and Anna, lived in a Union Township apartment complex.

Investigators say the two, Russian women were frequently accompanied by a tall African American man, using the name Donate Reese. Many people who are aware of these marriage for citizenship deals worry about who we're really allowing to stay in the country.

The brides involved in these cases are given $700 to $1,000 prior to marriage, and then promised $300 a month for the next two years.

Immigration law requires a two year period to pass before someone can be legalized, after marrying a U.S. Citizen.

Offered $5,000 to lie to immigration officials about her husband, the woman we talked to who asked to remain unidentified says when she wanted out, the threats started.

"I moved, he found out where I lived, how I do not know. He called my fiance now and threatened him, threatened me, told me I'd be sorry if he had to come to my home. He knew what time my daughter got off the bus, things like that."

No one knows how many illicit marriages have been arranged for profit in this area, but so far only a couple of the known Soviet husbands have been arrested. Investigators believe the marriage brokers, Anna, Elena and Dontae are still in business, although they may have recently moved their operation to a different community.

One of the Russian husbands, Iosif Rurov, is in federal custody and expected to go on trial May 12th. He faces a number of immigration fraud charges.