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Illinois woman sentenced for marriage fraud and perjury in West Virginia
GREENBRIER COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — An Illinois woman was sentenced for marriage fraud and perjury in Greenbrier County.
According to a press release from the United States Department of Justice, 28-year-old Kalee Ann Huff, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced on Thursday, June 12, 2025 to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, for marriage fraud and perjury.
Illinois woman pleads guilty to marriage fraud and perjury in West Virginia
The press release stated that according to court documents, Huff married 29-year-old Aakash Prakash Makwana, a foreign national, in Greenbrier County on September 3, 2021. Huff revealed that she agreed to the marriage in exchange for $10,000 as part of a plan to keep Makwana in the United States due to the upcoming expiration date of his immigration visa, however she never received or used the money from the scheme.
According to the United States Department of Justice's press release, Huff also admitted that after Makwana received lawful permanent resident status, also known as a Green Card, they planned to divorce. They reportedly traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in March 2023 to have an interview with U.S. immigration officials with the intent to trick the officials into believing the marriage and relationship was real, however Makwana's application for the Green Card was denied.
The press release stated that immigration officers confronted Huff on August 8, 2023 about the fake marriage scheme, and Huff signed a statement saying that she went into the marriage with the intent of evading U.S. immigration laws.
Citizen of India pleads guilty to marriage fraud scheme in West Virginia
According to the press release, on December 10, 2024, Huff went to Charleston and appeared before a federal grand jury following a subpoena and a cooperation provision in the marriage fraud case against her. Huff acknowledged that she committed perjury during her grand jury testimony when she answered questions falsely about material facts related to the government's investigation.
29-year-old Aakash Prakash Makwana, a citizen of India who was unlawfully living in the Ronceverte area of Greenbrier County, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 to aggravated identity theft.
The press release stated that Makwana admitted to committing aggravated identity theft when he put the residential property manager's signature and name on the fake lease agreement without the permission of the property manager.
Makwana's sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2025.
According to the press release, on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, Huff's brother-in-law, 33-year-old Joseph Sanchez, of Fairbury, Illinois, pleaded guilty to participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy. He revealed that he pushed Huff to be a part of the scheme and that out of the promised $10,000, he only received $3,000. On May 28, 2025, Sanchez was sentenced to five years of federal probation.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who thanked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for their work on the investigation.
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