A Liberian man, Isiah Kangar, 52, has been sentenced to one year in prison by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney for immigration-related offenses. Following his sentence, he will be removed from the United States. The charges against Kangar include conspiracy to defraud the United States, visa fraud, and attempted unlawful procurement of citizenship.
Kangar entered the United States in 2009 under false pretenses by assuming his brother's identity to obtain a visa as the unmarried son of a lawful permanent resident. He later acquired a green card using this false identity, allowing him to reside in the country for over ten years. In 2022, he applied for U.S. citizenship with documents under his brother's name.
In February 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Kangar on multiple immigration fraud charges. He pleaded guilty to three counts in November.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf commented on the case: "The defendant built his life here on a foundation of lies." He added that Kangar's actions spanned 15 years and took an immigrant visa spot from someone more deserving.
Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia, emphasized the importance of maintaining immigration system integrity: "Fraudulent schemes that undermine lawful immigration processes will be investigated and prosecuted."
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with prosecution handled by Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour from the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section and Eastern District of Pennsylvania Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Patrick Brown. Additional assistance came from various departments within the Justice Department and Homeland Security.