NEW DELHI: An Indian-American has admitted to fraudulently obtaining US citizenship by providing false documents and lying, according to the US immigration and customs enforcement.
Jaiprakash Gulvady, 51, who currently resides in Florida, pleaded guilty to unlawfully acquiring citizenship, misusing citizenship evidence, making false statements in a passport application, and using a passport obtained through deception.
If convicted, Gulvady could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Once sentenced, his US citizenship will be automatically revoked. No sentencing date has been scheduled yet. Gulvady initially arrived in the US in 2001 on a temporary business visa.
In 2008, less than two after divorcing his American wife, he married another US citizen, which allowed him to become a lawful permanent resident in 2009. During a trip to India in 2009, Gulvady married an Indian woman, and they had a child together in 2011.
In 2013, his marriage to the American citizen was dissolved according to ICE, and the following year, Gulvady applied for naturalisation, claiming that he was not married, had no children, and had never been married to more than one person at the same time.
Based on this false application, he obtained US citizenship in 2014. Gulvady then used his fraudulently obtained certificate of naturalisation to apply for a US passport, omitting information about his Indian wife, ICE said.
He used this passport to reenter the US multiple times. The investigation was led by homeland security investigations.
(With agency inputs)
Jaiprakash Gulvady, 51, who currently resides in Florida, pleaded guilty to unlawfully acquiring citizenship, misusing citizenship evidence, making false statements in a passport application, and using a passport obtained through deception.
If convicted, Gulvady could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Once sentenced, his US citizenship will be automatically revoked. No sentencing date has been scheduled yet. Gulvady initially arrived in the US in 2001 on a temporary business visa.
In 2008, less than two after divorcing his American wife, he married another US citizen, which allowed him to become a lawful permanent resident in 2009. During a trip to India in 2009, Gulvady married an Indian woman, and they had a child together in 2011.
In 2013, his marriage to the American citizen was dissolved according to ICE, and the following year, Gulvady applied for naturalisation, claiming that he was not married, had no children, and had never been married to more than one person at the same time.
Based on this false application, he obtained US citizenship in 2014. Gulvady then used his fraudulently obtained certificate of naturalisation to apply for a US passport, omitting information about his Indian wife, ICE said.
He used this passport to reenter the US multiple times. The investigation was led by homeland security investigations.
(With agency inputs)