A U.K. man residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been sentenced in Boston federal court after admitting to making false statements during an immigration proceeding. Duncan Hollands, also known as Duncan Herd, received a sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper equivalent to time served, which amounted to one day, along with two years of supervised release. Additionally, Hollands faces removal proceedings following his conviction.
Hollands, 58, confessed to one count of false swearing in an immigration matter, a charge he pleaded guilty to in January 2025 after being charged in August 2024. The issue arose from an application he submitted for lawful permanent residence status in May 2021, which included an interview in February 2022. On this application, Hollands falsely claimed never to have used another name and to have no criminal history.
Contrary to the statements made on his application, Hollands had previously been known as Duncan Herd. Under this identity, he was convicted and sentenced in the United Kingdom for obtaining property by deception and had served over three years in prison for this and additional charges. Hollands also had other interactions with law enforcement in the United Kingdom and France.
The announcement of the sentencing was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, 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, Boston Field Office. They acknowledged the contributions of multiple agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the police departments of Cambridge and Woburn in Massachusetts, and U.K. law enforcement. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit.