Man Sentenced To 5 Years Probation For Unlawfully Procuring Citizenship

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County has been sentenced in federal court to five years of probation on his conviction of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on Lahbib Hannoune, 35, of Pittsburgh, Pa.

According to the information presented to the court, Hannoune falsely answered in the negative a question about whether he had committed a crime for which he had not yet been arrested during his naturalization proceedings. At the time he answered the question, Hannoune had already engaged in unlawful contact with a person represented to be a minor for the purpose of engaging in online video display of sexual conduct. The person was actually an undercover police officer. Hannoune procured naturalized U.S. citizenship based upon his answer.

Judge McVerry ordered Hannoune’s naturalized citizenship be revoked, undoing the result of his fraud.

Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney commended Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of Attorney General for the successful investigation leading to the prosecution of Lahbib Hannoune.