Nigerian Woman Faces Eight Years In Jail For 'Falsely' Claiming To Be US Citizen

A Nigerian woman in the United States is being prosecuted for allegedly claiming she is a citizen of the United States whereas she is not. 

 

US attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced on Wednesday that Ifeoma Inneh, 40, was arrested on June 4, 2021, at the Cyril E. King Airport on criminal charges related to her alleged misrepresentation that she was a United States citizen.


According to court documents, Inneh appeared at the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection checkpoint at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands on June 4, 2021. 

 

She was a ticketed passenger on a flight travelling to Newark, New Jersey, Nigeria Abroad reports. 

 

In primary and secondary inspection, Inneh told CBP officers that she was a citizen of the United States. The CBP officers determined that she was not a citizen of the United States.

“Inneh is charged with knowingly making a false claim to United States citizenship in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 911 and making material false statements to CBP Officers in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2),” US Justice Department said in a statement.

 

If convicted, Inneh faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint is merely a charging document, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States of America

News

AddThis

Original Author

Saharareporters, New York

Disable advertisements