Brothers from India Facing Charges Related to a Marriage Fraud Scheme

PITTSBURGH, PA – Two brothers residing in the Pittsburgh-area have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy and visa fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The three-count Indictment, returned on Nov. 6 and unsealed Friday, named Rajinder Singh, 43, of Pittsburgh, and Makhan Singh, 53, of Monroeville, as defendants.

According to the Indictment, Rajinder and Makhan Singh, who are brothers and citizens of India, entered into a conspiracy in 2011 with a woman known to the grand jury as D.H. to enter into a sham marriage for the purpose of evading immigration laws The court was further informed that Makhan introduced D.H. to his brother and paid her to marry him and to make false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS). The "couple" further staged pictures and opened joint bank accounts, and Makhan made payments for D.H.’s benefit, including paying for car insurance for a vehicle jointly registered to D.H. and Rajinder in order to falsely document their relationship and marriage. The Indictment also alleges that Rajinder made false statements to CIS on or about March 11, 2016 and December 14, 2017 when he stated that he did not live at a separate address from D.H., when they had lived separately.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The defendants remain on bond pending the resolution of the case

Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.