Iraqi Refugees In Virginia Charged With Immigration Fraud

VIENNA, VA — Three Iraqi refugees living in the Vienna area of Virginia, were arrested and charged with immigration fraud Tuesday morning, according to federal prosecutors.

Yousif Al Mashhandani, 35, of Vienna; Adil Hasan, 38, of Burke; and his wife, Enas Ibrahim, 32, of Burke, are charged with attempting to obtain naturalization contrary to the law, according to the Department of Justice. The accused will appear at the federal courthouse in Alexandria at 2 p.m. Tuesday in front of Magistrate Ivan D. Davis. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

According to an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, the fraud charges were filed against the three because they did not disclose their connection to a relative who admitted in 2005 to kidnapping and holding a U.S. citizen and others hostage for months.

The three defendants are permanent residents living in the U.S. since 2008. When they applied to become naturalized citizens, they withheld the relationship and eventually told the FBI that they left out that relationship in the application to not jeopardize their admittance as refugees.

This case comes during President Trump's failure to implement a travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries. The newest executive order does not include Iraq, although it does restrict refugees.

>> image via Patch file photo