A U.K. citizen has pleaded guilty in a Boston federal court to making false statements on an immigration application. Duncan Hollands, also known as Duncan Herd, admitted to one count of falsely swearing in an immigration matter. The plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, who scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2025.
Hollands, 58, applied for lawful permanent residence status in May 2021 and attended an interview for his application the following year. On the form and during the February 2022 interview, he claimed not to have used any other names and denied having a criminal history. However, it was revealed that Hollands had previously been convicted under the name Duncan Herd and served over three years in prison for obtaining property by deception among other charges. He also had prior interactions with criminal justice systems in both the United Kingdom and France.
The charge against Hollands carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the Boston Field Office. Assistance came from several agencies including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and law enforcement authorities from both Massachusetts and the United Kingdom.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III from the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.