United States v. Ongaga, No. 14-20235 (5th Cir. 2016)
Annotate this CaseDefendants Andrew Mokoro, Herman Ogoti, Alfonso Ongaga, and Rebmann Ongaga appealed their separate convictions for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and related offenses. Defendant, Kenyan nationals, married members of a closely connected group of American women to gain residency and citizenship. Defendants then prepared fraudulent immigration forms and took additional steps to make their marriages appear legitimate. The evidence further showed that defendants sought to procure American spouses for other Kenyan nationals - some residing in the United States, others residing in Kenya - for the same purpose. The court affirmed defendants' conviction of Count One for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud; concluding that marriage fraud is not a continuing offense, the court held that the charges of marriage fraud against Ogoti and Rebmann were untimely and should be dismissed, and therefore reversed Ogoti’s and Rebmann’s motions for acquittal on Counts Two and Three, respectively, and vacated their convictions on those counts; the court affirmed Mokoro's conviction as to Count Four for marriage fraud, Ogoti's conviction under Count Five for visa fraud, and Mokoro and Rebmann's conviction as to Counts Six and Seven for visa fraud; and rejected defendants' Batson v. Kentucky claims where defendants have failed to show that the district court clearly erred in finding that the peremptory strike at issue was not purposefully discriminatory.
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