4 granted bail in US visa fraud case

THREE women and a man charged with visa fraud have been each granted $80,000 bail by a master of the High Court.

The four appeared before Master Shabana Shah on July 4 and were not called on to enter a plea on the charges laid indictably.

They will return to court on April 24, 2025, for a sufficiency hearing.

A statement from the US Embassy on July 3 said its diplomatic security service facilitated the July 2 and 3 arrests of the four women by the police Fraud Squad.

The statement said one of the accused, a 24-year-old woman, was arrested at the embassy on Marli Street, Port of Spain, and two other suspects, a 63-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman, were arrested at their homes on July 2. The fourth accused, a 34-year-old woman, was arrested at her home on July 3.

“All will be charged with providing fraudulent documentation in support of visa applications and falsely claiming to be TTPS police officers when they submitted documentation to US Embassy Port of Spain consular officials.”

In the statement, US Ambassador Candace Bond said, “The arrests are a demonstration of the unique teamwork between the TTPS and the US Embassy’s federal agents with the Diplomatic Security Service.

“The arrests send a message to anyone intending to falsify documents or misrepresent themselves to obtain a US visa through deceit that US federal agents will work alongside local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute them.

“Committing fraud when applying for a US visa will result in the perpetrator being permanently ineligible for a tourist visa.”

The embassy reminded the public applying for visas to visit the legitimate website – https://tt.usembassy.gov/ and https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html – for details on the visa application process.

It also advised the public not to pay people who promise to help obtain a US visa.

“Only US Embassy consular officers can adjudicate visa applications,” the embassy said.