The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that an Israeli citizen has been indicted in federal court in Virginia on charges of leading a visa-fraud scheme to help non-U.S. citizens enter the U.S. illegally and employ them.

Shai Cohen, 39, and his co-conspirators “disguise the true purpose of travel to the U.S. for illegal employment to allow noncitizens to fraudulently obtain B-1/B-2 tourist/visitor visas. It is said that he assisted the Department of Justice statement I got it. Upon entering the United States, non-citizens were employed at kiosks at Cohen’s Virginia and Maryland Mall, and paid “by cash under the table or stored value payment cards, not by a legal payroll system.” It is said that it was done by remittance to Cohen is also alleged to have detained non-citizens and helped transport them to and from kiosks. (Related: US-bound migrants pour into Mexico as Biden wins immigration crackdown)

Alien extradited on suspicion of immigration fraud, human smuggling and money laundering conspiracy https://t.co/IALgUalH1L

— U.S. Attorney EDVA (@EDVAnews) August 4, 2023

Cohen was arrested in Israel and extradited to the Eastern District of Virginia on charges of “fraud and conspiracy to commit criminal acts against the United States.” Bringing aliens to the United States for economic gain.Encourage or induce foreigners to come, enter, or reside in the United States illegally [sic] for financial gain. shelter illegal immigrants. and a money laundering conspiracy,” according to the statement. If convicted, he reportedly faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The Homeland Security Investigations Service (HSI) and the Department of Labor are investigating the incident, the statement said.

U.S. employers required by law Since 1986, it has been to “verify the identity and employment eligibility of employees.”