La Vista Man Has Citizenship Revoked After Conviction for Obtaining Citizenship by Fraud

Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Zahid Maqsood, age 56 of La Vista, Nebraska, was sentenced today by the Honorable Laurie Smith Camp to time served in jail and three years of supervised release following his conviction for unlawful procurement of citizenship/naturalization.  He had been in jail approximately 8 months.  Mr. Maqsood’s citizenship was also revoked. 

Mr. Maqsood first came to the United States on a visa from from Pakistan in 1990.  Using a different name, he applied for asylum.  The application was denied and he was ordered removed from the United States under the fake name.  He left the United States and returned in 2006 on an Immigrant Visa using the Maqsood name.  In 2012 he applied for naturalization making a number of statements under oath.  As part of the naturalization process he also had an interview, under oath, with an agent with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Based on his application and interview he was granted citizenship using the name “Maqsood.”  It was later learned that a number of the material statements he made in his citizenship application form and his naturalization interview were false. 

Mr. Maqsood pled guilty to the offense on October 3, 2017. Upon conviction, federal law mandates the judge declare his citizenship void and his naturalization certificate cancelled.

The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Removal Operations.