Syracuse Man Convicted at Trial of Naturalization Fraud

BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Fadl Mohamad Alharbi, age 50, of Syracuse, New York, was convicted today following a federal jury trial of naturalizing contrary to law and submitting a false statement in a passport application, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Timothy Novak, Resident Special Agent in Charge, Buffalo, New York, U.S. Department of State-Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

The trial evidence revealed that Alharbi, a native of Yemen, used a false name and falsely posed as the son of his uncle, who was a U.S. citizen (and is now deceased), in order to obtain lawful permanent residency in the United States and, later, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen and to apply for a passport. The defendant later admitted in interviews with immigration and Department of State officials that he knew these facts about his identity were false and that he had submitted these false statements in order to naturalize and to obtain a passport. 

The charges for which Alharbi was convicted carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. Alharbi also faces denaturalization as a result of his naturalization fraud conviction. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Alharbi will be sentenced in federal court in Binghamton, New York, on January 4, 2022, by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy, who presided over the trial.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State-Diplomatic Security Service with assistance from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.