“How to find out if someone has dating profiles?” – is not a question for this LA man: Engilbert Ulan, a 42-year-old Filipino living in Los Angeles. He was recently found guilty by a federal jury in Boston of planning to commit marriage fraud and immigration paperwork fraud. Ulan took part in a marriage fake "agency" run by Marcialito "Mars" Benitez. More than 300 fake marriages were set up by the scam operation to get around U.S. immigration rules.
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Ulan was caught with 10 others in April 2022. He was a key figure in the ongoing fraud against the U.S. government. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy talked about how serious marriage fraud is and how it could hurt the country's immigration system and the idea that everyone should be welcome.
Jodi Cohen, head of the FBI's Boston division and a special agent, stated that Ulan's behavior brought disgrace to the registration process and violated immigration laws. Chad Plantz, who leads Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, condemned the six-year-long deception that destroyed genuine marriages and endangered national security.
As part of his job at the "agency," Ulan set up fake weddings between foreigners and Americans. After these marriages, people sent in fake papers to change their immigration status in exchange for cash payments running from $20,000 to $30,000. The organization planned fake weddings and taught couples how to give false answers to immigration officials.
From his home in Los Angeles, Ulan helped with the fraud by coaching couples, doing practice interviews, and making up papers to back up the claims. He was so involved that he rented out his flat address to clients, which made their applications more convincing.
Ulan took part in more than 300 fake marriages between December 2019 and March 2022. Nine other suspects have already pleaded guilty, and his conviction is part of a larger case. The main person behind the plan, Marcialito Benitez, pleaded guilty in September 2023.
Ulan could spend up to five years in jail, three years under close supervision, and pay a $250,000 fine for the charges he is facing. The sentencing is set for March 6, 2024. A federal district court judge will decide what the right punishment is by using sentencing laws and guidelines.
Well, as Wilda Harrison notes: ''Motives and situations that drive people like Engilbert Ulan are often very complicated. Their actions definitely have bad effects, but just think about the mental issues that are causing them to act that way! Instead of just focusing on punishment, we should also put a high priority on interventions that aim to deal with the underlying causes of this kind of fraud, such as cultural and socioeconomic pressures."
