Man Pleads Guilty To Fraudulently Obtaining United States Citizenship And Bribing Federal Official

ATLANTA – Hakeem Omar pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently obtaining his United States citizenship and for his role in a bribery conspiracy.

“This defendant’s attempts to subvert the immigration process by offering bribes to a federal agent were unsuccessful,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.  “The United States is the land of promise for many, but we are also a land of laws.  Bribing a federal agent is against the law, and will only lead to jail and deportation, not U.S. citizenship.”

“Maintaining the integrity of our immigration system is a core mission of the Department of Homeland Security,” said David P. D’Amato, special agent in charge of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) for the Southeast Region. “Those who seek to undermine the law through bribery and corruption will be investigated, arrested and brought to justice. This guilty plea should be a strong warning that OPR and the U.S. Attorney’s Office take this crime seriously and will prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court:  Beginning in September 2010, and continuing until at least July 2012, Omar paid a series of bribes to a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security who was working in an undercover capacity.  In exchange for the bribes, Omar sought immigration benefits as well as other benefits.  Over a two-year period, he paid thousands of dollars to the undercover special agent for what he believed was assistance with his immigration status in the United States, including obtaining United States citizenship through naturalization.    

Omar, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., could receive a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  The defendant will be stripped of his fraudulently obtained U. S. citizenship, and likely faces removal from the United States.  However, in determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. 

Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2013, at 10 a.m., before United States District Judge Steven P. Jones. 

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

Assistant United States Attorney Skye Davis is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.