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Indian man in West Virginia pleads guilty in immigration fraud case
Aakash Makwana faces a mandatory two-year prison term, up to one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and removal from the United States.
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Pranavi Sharma - Wed, 14, May 2025
- 22:39 EDT
- 78
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Stock image. / Pexels
Aakash Prakash Makwana, a 29-year-old Indian national who was unlawfully living in Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, pleaded guilty on May 14 to aggravated identity theft as part of a broader marriage fraud scheme aimed at evading U.S. immigration laws.
Makwana first arrived in the United States on Nov.23, 2019, on a J-1 visa, which allowed him to work in hotel hospitality and culinary service. That visa expired on Nov.24, 2020, and Makwana admitted in court that he knowingly overstayed without legal authorization.
In August 2021, Makwana began conspiring with others to pay a U.S. citizen $10,000 in exchange for marriage, with the goal of applying for Lawful Permanent Residence status, also known as obtaining a Green Card. He was then living in White Sulphur Springs and working at a local convenience store without legal status.
Court documents show that Makwana married a U.S. citizen, Kalee Ann Huff, on Sep.3, 2021. To make the marriage appear legitimate, he falsified a residential lease agreement in White Sulphur Springs to show they were living together. He added Huff’s name to utility bills and bank accounts, and admitted to forging the signature of the property manager on the lease without authorization.
When the marriage-based immigration petition failed, Makwana attempted another route to stay in the U.S. He submitted a Form I-360 petition to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, falsely claiming that he had suffered domestic violence and emotional abuse at the hands of Huff. He admitted to filing the false petition to remain in the country and improve his chances of securing permanent residency.
Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on Sep.26, 2025. He faces a mandatory two-year prison term, up to one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and removal from the United States.
Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and perjury on Feb.20, 2025. Her sentencing is set for June 12. Her brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, 33, also of Fairbury, pleaded guilty on Jan.29 to his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced on May 30.
“This case reflects another unacceptable attempt to undermine our nation’s immigration laws, and the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to enforce those laws to uphold public safety, national security, and the rule of law in our country,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over May 14 hearing, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuting the case.
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