An Indian national residing in Chelsea, Massachusetts, has been sentenced in federal court for making false statements on a U.S. passport application and to federal agents. Sharn Parzival, 25, received a sentence of time served, approximately five months, and one year of supervised release from U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns. Parzival is also subject to deportation.
In December 2024, Parzival pleaded guilty to an Information related to the charges. The case dates back to January 31, 2023, when Parzival submitted a passport application at a post office in Somerville, Massachusetts. He falsely claimed he was born in Maryland and declared under penalty of perjury that he was a U.S. citizen or national. As proof of identity and citizenship, he provided copies of a Massachusetts driver's license and a fraudulent Maryland birth certificate.
Investigations revealed that Parzival entered the United States in 2021 on a non-immigrant student visa but was later expelled by his school. Further inquiries confirmed that Maryland had never issued a birth certificate in his name.
On April 26, 2023, Parzival visited the U.S. Department of State's Boston office to check on his passport application's status. During an interview with DOS agents, he made several false claims about his birthplace and affiliations with India and denied ever applying for a visa. A fingerprint analyst matched his fingerprints with those provided during his visa application process in India.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson from the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.