https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/aunt-and-us-airman-nephew-arrested-in-immigration-fraud-scheme

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was instrumental in an investigation resulting in the arrest of an aunt and her nephew for their involvement in an immigration fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri announced the charges.

Myra Paule Schulenburg, 46, and her nephew John Paule Rivera, 30, both of Colorado, were charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Rivera also was charged with making false statements under oath on immigration documents, making false statements to a federal agency, unlawfully procuring citizenship, and misuse of citizenship evidence.

Schulenburg was born in the Philippines and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Rivera entered the United States on a J1 exchange visitor visa in March 2017. A few months later, Schulenburg submitted a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to USCIS claiming to be Rivera’s mother so he could become a lawful permanent resident. She attached an altered birth certificate from the Philippines to the petition as proof of their relationship and submitted it for processing to USCIS’ National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Schulenburg’s petition was approved and Rivera became a lawful permanent resident.

After becoming a lawful permanent resident, Rivera joined the U.S. Air Force and applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen while stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. In his application for naturalization, Rivera specifically denied ever giving any U.S. government official information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading, or lying to gain immigration benefits. He signed that application for naturalization under penalty of perjury and submitted it to USCIS’ National Benefits Center for processing. As a result of that false testimony, Rivera’s application for naturalization was approved and he became a U.S. citizen on Oct. 11, 2022.

After becoming a U.S. citizen, Rivera submitted a Petition for Alien Relative to USCIS for his actual mother so she could become a lawful permanent resident. He attached his authentic birth certificate from the Philippines to that petition as proof of their relationship. USCIS flagged his petition, resulting in the investigation that led to the arrests.

The charges contained in the indictment are accusations and are not evidence of guilt.

Schulenburg faces a sentence of up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. Rivera faces up to 10 years in prison on some of the immigration charges and also could be denaturalized.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, USCIS’ National Benefits Center, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5900486&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310864#50115058)