Feds: Pittsburgh area brothers tried to evade immigration laws with fake marriage
Share this post:
Two Indian brothers living in the Pittsburgh area have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to marriage fraud in order to evade immigration laws, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh announced Tuesday.
Makhan Singh, 53, of Monroeville paid a woman to marry his brother, Rajinder Singh, 43, of Pittsburgh, according to investigators.
The woman is not identified and is only referred to as D.H. in court records.
The fake marriage began in 2011, investigators said. The couple staged photos together and opened joint bank accounts to maintain the lie, according to court records.
Makhan Singh made payments to the woman from September 2015 to March 2018 for the alleged fake marriage, investigators said. He also allegedly paid for car insurance on a vehicle that was jointly registered to the woman and Rajinder Singh.
Rajinder Singh also allegedly made false statements to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in March 2016 and December 2017, according to court records.
Makhan Singh pleaded not guilty last week and was released on a $30,000 bond. His attorney, Michael E. Waltman, was not immediately available to comment.
There is no attorney listed for Rajinder Singh.