Woman admits marrying to aid 3 immigrants

January 07, 2012|By Travis Andersen

A New Bedford woman admitted yesterday to entering into three sham marriages between 2004 and 2006 to help a trio of Brazilian nationals with expired visas attain permanent legal residence in the United States.

Erin Elizabeth Whittaker, 28, who is a US citizen, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges of marriage fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Her lawyer, James P. Duggan of Boston, could not be reached for comment late last night.

According to an indictment, Whittaker’s spouses, who were not identified by name, entered the country on six-month visas between 1997 and 2001.

Immigrants seeking to gain lawful permanent US residency can avoid certain visa requirements and other provisions, by marrying a United States citizen, the indictment states.

Whittaker married the first man in October 2004 in East Providence, R.I., the second spouse in Taunton the following year, and the third in New Bedford in 2006, an indictment says. In all three cases, the couples stated falsely on immigration forms that they lived together and intended to keep living together, authorities said.

The court documents do not indicate whether Whittaker was paid to enter into the marriages or how she met the men. Her sentencing is scheduled Jan. 25.

The maximum penalties for marriage fraud include imprisonment for up to five years and fines of up to $250,000, according to the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrants who commit the offense can be deported and may be permanently barred from future immigration benefits in the country, the agency said.

The court documents in Whittaker’s case do not mention the current immigration status of the men involved.