McLean resident Naran S. Ivanchukov was sentenced Dec. 5 to 44 months in prison for his role in an immigration fraud ring. He was also ordered to pay a $3.2 million judgment, forfeit his residence, various banking and brokerage accounts, and thousands of dollars in jewelry, said U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty.
Ivanchukov, 67, owned Global Recruitment and Immigration Services Inc., a company in Falls Church, which helped immigrants obtain "green cards" through a visa program that permitted employers to sponsor an immigrant if that employer was unable to find a qualified U.S. employee to fill the position.
Ivanchukov charged immigrants as much as $120,000 to obtain visa applications. He made more than $4.5 million during the conspiracy and submitted more than 1,000 fraudulent immigration documents, said McNulty. His company conducted its business in cash and didn't file federal income tax returns or report any income during the four-year conspiracy, according to McNulty's press release.
Sterling resident, Michelle I. Pappadakis, 31, was the company's vice president and was sentenced to 18 months in prison for her role in structuring the company's bank deposits to avoid IRS reporting requirements.
Nine defendants have currently been convicted of charges stemming from the conspiracy, said McNulty.