Sturgis Man And Woman Indicted For Fraud

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Sturgis, South Dakota, husband and wife were indicted by a federal grand jury for engaging in a scheme to submit employment petitions for foreign workers to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Labor in order to obtain temporary work visas for the workers.  The petitions contained false statements about fees collected from the workers.

Scott Kaubisch, age 50, and Shiela Kaubisch, a/k/a Maria Shiela Santos Kaubisch, age 53, were indicted on August 13, 2013, for Conspiracy to Commit an Offense or to Defraud the United States, Wire Fraud, False Swearing in an Immigration Matter, and False Statement.  Both Kaubisches appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy in Rapid City on August 14, 2013, and pled not guilty to the indictment. 

The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000.00 fine.  The charges are merely accusations and the Kaubisches are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
 
The investigation is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General - Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – Fraud Detection and National Security.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.