BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A man unlawfully residing in Greenbrier County has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft in connection with a marriage fraud scheme aimed at evading U.S. immigration laws.
Aakash Prakash Makwana, 29, a citizen of India living in Ronceverte without legal status, admitted in federal court that he participated in a plan to marry a U.S. citizen in exchange for $10,000 to secure a Green Card.
According to court documents, Makwana arrived in the United States on a J-1 visa on November 23, 2019, to work in hotel hospitality and culinary services.
The visa expired a year later on November 24, 2020, but Makwana remained in the country.
By August 2021, Makwana was living in White Sulphur Springs and working at a local convenience store without authorization.
As part of the fraud, he married a U.S. citizen, Kalee Ann Huff, on September 3, 2021.
To make the marriage appear legitimate, he falsified a lease agreement, added Huff’s name to utility bills and bank accounts, and used the name and signature of a property manager on the fake lease without permission.
After the marriage fraud effort failed, Makwana submitted a petition to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services claiming he was a victim of domestic violence.
He later admitted the allegations were false and filed the petition to remain in the country and increase his chances of receiving permanent residency.
Makwana faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and removal from the United States. Sentencing is set for September 26, 2025.
His co-conspirators also face consequences. Huff, 28, who now lives in Fairbury, Illinois, pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and perjury on February 20, 2025. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12.
Her brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, 33, also of Fairbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges on January 29 and will be sentenced on May 30.
“This case reflects another unacceptable attempt to undermine our nation’s immigration laws, and the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to enforce those laws to uphold public safety, national security, and the rule of law in our country,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
