A man residing unlawfully in West Virginia has confessed to utilizing a fraudulent marriage in an attempt to remain in the United States. Aakash Prakash Makwana, a 29-year-old national from India, entered a guilty plea on May 28 for aggravated identity theft.Makwana had been living in Ronceverte and working without authorization. He arrived in the U.S. on a J-1 visa in November 2019, but continued to stay illegally after it lapsed in 2020.In August 2021, Makwana consented to pay a U.S. citizen $10,000 to marry him in order to obtain a Green Card. They were married on September 3, 2021. To create the appearance of a legitimate marriage, Makwana fabricated a lease agreement and included the citizen’s name on his utility bills and bank accounts. He acknowledged forging the name and signature of a property manager on the lease without consent.When the scheme involving the fake marriage failed, Makwana submitted a petition to U.S. immigration authorities, alleging that he had been mistreated by his U.S. citizen spouse. He later confessed that this was a falsehood intended to assist him in remaining in the country and to enhance his prospects of acquiring a Green Card.
Makwana is set to be sentenced on September 26, 2025. He faces potential imprisonment, fines, and likely deportation.Two additional individuals implicated in the scheme have also pleaded guilty. Kalee Ann Huff, 28, the U.S. citizen who married Makwana, admitted to committing marriage fraud and perjury. She currently resides in Fairbury, Illinois, and is scheduled for sentencing on June 12. Her brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, 33, also from Fairbury, has acknowledged his involvement in the fraud and is due to be sentenced on May 30.
