Afghan citizen of US charged with immigration fraud for aiding family, friends to gain visas

Mustafa Aman, 39, was arrested on a six-count indictment alleging a conspiracy that stretched from as early as 2013 into 2024, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.

Prosecutors allege Aman used his familiarity with the immigration system and a US defense contractor to fabricate employment histories for people seeking Afghan Special Immigrant Visas. The alleged scheme included fake recommendation letters, counterfeit employee badges and false statements to State Department officials and congressional staff.

“Immigration fraud is a serious problem, and this is just one example. It is disturbing that this defendant repeatedly took advantage of our country’s generosity. This person, who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan, allegedly used fraud at every step of the process to bring others from Afghanistan to this country,” Acting US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said.

“Mr. Aman was granted citizenship because he was considered a trusted ally to the United States. Sadly, he exploited our generosity and used it against us.”

According to the indictment, Aman provided a fake recommendation letter in 2014 to a coconspirator applying for a Special Immigrant Visa. Prosecutors say that individual had never worked for an American company in Afghanistan but used a draft Aman supplied to claim employment with the same contractor for which Aman had worked.

In 2016, Aman allegedly supplied a forged recommendation letter for another person. Prosecutors say he assisted two more people in 2022 by providing false recommendation letters and employment information for their visa applications.

The indictment also alleges that Aman misrepresented his own marital status, claiming he was single in an immigration application despite already being married. Authorities say he repeatedly made false statements about his marital status.

“Mr. Aman is charged with using his position and special knowledge of the U.S. immigration process to cheat the system for his own benefit, and that of his family and friends,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office.

“We hope this indictment serves as a reminder of the consequences for defrauding the United States and the importance of seeking American citizenship in a lawful way.”

Aman faces charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, making a false statement in a passport application, using a passport secured through a false statement, and two counts of submitting false writings involving forged recommendation letters for noncitizens seeking visas.