Philippine National Sentenced in CNMI for Immigration Fraud

SAIPAN, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Lorna R. Maramba, age 64, a Philippine national illegally living on Saipan, was sentenced on March 2, 2026, by the Honorable Ramona V. Manglona in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, to credit for time served for Possession of a False Identification Document with the Intent to Defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(4).  The Court also ordered Maramba to pay a $25.00 special assessment fee. Maramba was deported to the Philippines today.

According to court documents, on January 21, 2026, Maramba attempted to depart Saipan for Hawaii through the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport. During an outbound inspection, she presented two fraudulent U.S. Permanent Resident Cards to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. Each card contained different biographical information, mismatched USCIS numbers, and distorted or blurred photographs.

Maramba initially claimed to be a lawful permanent resident. Record checks revealed she had no legal immigration status and had overstayed her CNMI‑Only Transitional Worker (CW‑1) visa, which expired in 2020. She later admitted the cards were counterfeit and stated she had paid $2,000 to a man she met on Facebook who falsely claimed to be a U.S. immigration officer. Maramba told investigators she intended to use the fraudulent documents to reach Hawaii to seek employment and acknowledged she was unlawfully present in the CNMI.

“The CNMI benefits from special provisions in federal immigration law that promote economic relief,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “Our office will continue to aggressively enforce any violations.  This case sends a message of zero tolerance to those who take advantage of these provisions to deprive citizens in other jurisdictions of employment opportunities.”

“HSI Saipan protects the community by investigating fraud and other crimes that threaten our security. Working alongside CBP and other partners, we make sure those who break the law are identified and brought to justice,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas.

The investigation was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation and prosecuted by Eric S. O’Malley, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.