Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Federal Way woman sentenced for arranging sham marriages

A Federal Way woman was sentenced this morning to 33 months in federal prison for setting up several "sham marriages" to help herself and others immigrate to the U.S. from Cambodia.

August 31, 2009
By Ian Ith
Seattle Times staff reporter


A Federal Way woman was sentenced this morning to 33 months in federal prison for setting up several "sham marriages" to help herself and others immigrate to the U.S. from Cambodia.

A jury in U.S. District Court in January found Vuthy Sim, 35, guilty of several charges of visa fraud, money laundering and concealing an illegal alien. .

According to court documents, Sim made more than $160,000 by charging Cambodian immigrants a large fee to set up the marriages with American citizens. She would then pay the citizens about $20,000 each to travel to Cambodia, participate in wedding ceremonies with the immigrant, and then pose as their spouses when they arrived in the U.S. The immigrants would then be able to get visas to stay in the U.S. and work.

Several others who participated in the scheme were also prosecuted, but Sim was identified as the mastermind.

Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Judge James Robart to give Sim nearly four years in prison, arguing that she "showed a complete disregard for the immigration laws of the United States," and had deprived other would-be immigrants of the chance to come to the U.S. by following the rules.

Sim's lawyer argued for a one-year term, saying Sim, a nursing assistant, is a survivor of Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s who has learned her lesson and has three young children to support. Sim also has forfeited her Federal Way home because of the conviction.

In opting for the 33-month term, Robart agreed with prosecutors that Sim had hurt honest immigrants, and he called Sim's crimes "troublesome and serious."

Ian Ith: 206-464-2109 or iith@seattletimes.com

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget, Song Kunthea is Hun Sen's secret dog in Tacoma, Washington state, and worked to collect all informations from Khmers in the U.S.A and passing to Hun Khvang and is boss Hanoi.

His name is Hok, ex- Bang Thom in Sangker, Battambang.

He came in U.S by a fake marriage by 20,000 dollars hiring a khmer widow in Tacoma. A lot of Yuon spies came to U.S.A by this way or by fake monks in all Wat in the U.S.

Anonymous said...

Nearly all of CPP ministerial officials are involved in Sham marriages to obtain US work visas then I-551 before divorcing the fake spouses. Then she or he return to Cambodia to marry own spouse or to file for R`1 or 2 sponsorship for visas then I-551.
Most are NOT real Khmers but Sino or Yuon descents.

Example one of Tourism ministry's state secretaries ( K,S.S.R) had his wife (K,P)lives and works in Tacoma by pretending to marry to his own nephew to get I-551 and his 3 children to attend US colleges paid by scholarships paid by US taxpayers.

For Sim,INS judge should strip her Citizenship then put her in jail before deporting her.

Anonymous said...

Cambodian people who came to America through marriages, and divorced in a couple month/years should be investigated by the U.S. Immigration. If the cases turned out to be shame marriage, sentence them to jail and after finishing their time ship them back to Cambodia. I hate those people.

Anonymous said...

Khmer never help each other. They like to expose one another by jealousy, not like Hanoi. Their Youn people help one another in the US schools, works, and communities. Khmer people try to hide their knowledge and don't want others to compete with them.

If you know someone coming to America by faking or legally, Just keep your mouth shut. They want to come to America too as you. If you're in that situation, you will do the same thing.

Help your own people better than helping others. Don't worry the US immigration knows more than you do. They let 10 million Mexican live in the US and not bother to investigate. So why only a few of Khmer come, we help them to track down.

America is built or prosperity by the immigrants, not by only white people. How many kids that are white students in Geography Bee or Spelling Bee?

No one hates America, even Hun Sen regime. His ministers and co-ministers send their kids to American school, but they go back act like animal.

Anonymous said...

Just don't come as a spy!!!!
Welcome good people!!!!

Anonymous said...

I agree that there are many illigal immigrants in the US and here is only a very small number of Cambodian illegal immigrants through shame marriage.

To the contrary, there are many, many Vienamese, the filipino, and others for example, who have done the same thing but hardly get caught.

I also agree that any illegal act should be held responsible. Unfortunately, the Cambodians usually get caught and others can keep themselves secret.

This issue can cause distrust among Cambodians even further if they can't stay united. It also reflects the course of the Khmer history when the Khmer leaders fighting each other, they each invite foreigners to interfer the internal conflict of Cambodia and always results in the Cambodian self destruction and both side are victimized by their own cause.

Anonymous said...

You fool try to leurn to obey law! Do not try to do like the fucking Youn communist!

If we all obey lay, we would get ripe off ah Youn from fooling us around!

The lawless and evil thing that keep ah Hun Xen in power!

Anonymous said...

"sham" or fake marriage for money is so illegal against USA's law, please don't do it!

Anonymous said...

These people gives khmer a bad name. Lock them up, and if their are more out there, turn them in!

Anonymous said...

A person can change only his mind, not his nature. Ah Hun Manith, one of the sons of ah Hun Sen, graduated from West Point, Military Ecademic School> When he got home, he does the same thing as ah Hun Sen has done; it's just like father like son. You see, ah Hun Manith bears the nature of ah Hun Sen!

Anonymous said...

FBI must crack down and catch these people who used fake marriage to come here...

Anonymous said...

About 75% of women that got married then come to the United States are known for ditch their husband and run away with other men because the husband broke, spend all of his money just to get her to the United States, and also the new guys usually have brand new luxury car, a house and a lot of money.  And I'm not even take about shame marriage.

I am encourage the INS to do their job for once to investigate these cases.

Don't get me wrong, I love Khmer peoples.

I hate Khmer Rouge peoples, Khmer Rouge supporters and all the murderers.

I hate the MF Ah Siam, but the MF Ah Siam is not on the top of my hate list.

1. MF Ah Hun Sen
2. MF Ah Hok Lundy
3. MF Mee Bun Rany Kaanduoy Ayeass
4. MF Ah Hun Sen Death Squad members
5. MF Ah Cambodian People's Party Ah Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime members.
6. MF Ah Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime members
7. MF Ah PPU aka Ah Anthony
8. MF Ah New Phally
9. MF Ah Khmer-Australia
10. MF Ah Angkorian Krama Man

The reason why I hate these MF is either they are a murderer or supporter of a murderers.

Anonymous said...

Khmer Rouge peoples are a murders.

Anonymous said...

Even Ah Hok Lundy is dead, I still hate this mother fucker.

Anonymous said...

Correction

murders = murderers

Anonymous said...

Well what make me angry is that some marriage are true love, the couple love and no scheme is involved but they cannot come to US since the INS think they are fake while the fake marriage can pass the INS! Money really do everything.

Anonymous said...

I support 9:14's comment.

Us Khmer were raised from generations to the next to be jealous of one another. We will break our back to help others, but come to our own.....we stop short.
Example: if a another Khmer lived around your block; they will not speak or will not attempt to associate with you.
In the case of Vietnamese or Filipino, they will start a neighboring party and get aquainted.
Khmer have this mentality that "I'm Khmer....therefore, I am better than the rest of you Khmer."
Every Khmer is for him/herselves.
Yet, what get's to me is we are the most friendliest people on this planet, but never our own.
Of course our enemies found this to be our weakest link
and use it against us.
let's face it. We lack unity and solidarity.
Maybe that's why we are what we are this present day.
Last, just shut your pie hole if you know anyone who wants to get here to better their living and help their familes back home. Instead of reporting them, how about lend them a helping hand.
It's not too late to pass down to our children what our ancestor failed to teach us. U-N-I-T-Y
Peace to all my Khmer people around the world.

Anonymous said...

I support division and disunity among Khmer people.

The country is almost sold.

Anonymous said...

Bun Rany Hun is CEO of CPP:
Hun Xen is CFO of CPP:

Clan of Phnom Penh
Court of Corrupted People
Cuffed People Party
Collected People Property
Claimed People Plot
Canceled Pageant People
Choking Poker Player
Commission of Pay Pal
Controlling Police Patrol
Criticized Poor People
Champange Party People
Cigar of Pimping People
Collected People Paid
Canceled Paper Press
Clan of Profit Party
Cell Phone Profit
Criminal Party People
Cheated Poll Party
Cheated Party People
Cheated on Poor People
Collected People Purses
Claiming People Party
Clan of Police Party
Clan of Pol Pot
Cell Phone People
Calling People Perverted
Caused People Problem
Concealed Pistol People