Hyattsville pastor charged in marriage-for-citizenship scheme
The indictment alleged the pastor at NewLife City Church, Inc. in Hyattsville received thousands of dollars from foreign nationals between January 2014 and January 2021 in order to connect them with U.S. citizens, who would marry then sponsor them for permanent residence. (7News/File)
HYATTSVILLE, Md. (7News) — A 50-year-old Prince George's County pastor was indicted after he allegedly arranged 60 fraudulent marriages between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens. Joshua Olatokunbo Shonubi of Bowie was charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and visa fraud as well as for presenting false documents to a federal agency.
The indictment, which was returned on Wednesday and unsealed Thursday when Shonubi was arrested, alleged the pastor at NewLife City Church, Inc. in Hyattsville received thousands of dollars from foreign nationals between January 2014 and January 2021 in order to connect them with U.S. citizens, who would marry then sponsor them for permanent residence.
According to the seven-count indictment, Shonubi groomed U.S. citizens, some of who were economically disadvantaged, with payments and promises of money if they married foreigners and sponsored them for U.S. residency. He allegedly officiated some of the marriages in Virginia. He also allegedly created and signed at least 38 reference letters on NewLife letterhead in support of the foreign nationals' application for permanent residence and falsely stated his relation to the parties -- " falsely stating: his relation to the parties; the nature of the marriage; his role in providing spiritual guidance or counseling; and his belief as to the romantic nature of the marriage."
He also allegedly created false rental leases and listed a corporation he formed in 2015 as the landlord to show the couple was living together when they were actually living separately. Those documents were then submitted to the USCIS as a part of the application process.
If convicted, Shonubi faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit visa fraud and marriage fraud and a maximum of five years in federal prison for each of six counts of presenting false documents to a federal government agency. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.