Gang found guilty of sham marriage scam across the Black Country and Shrewsbury
Eleven people involved in a sham marriages racket – which saw some fake weddings take place in Shrewsbury – are facing prison and deportation after being convicted of immigration offences, a judge has warned.
Suspicions were raised by register office staff following a wedding, where the "happy couple" seemed to barely know each other.
The jury's unanimous verdicts on immigration offences yesterday came three years after the Home Office launched a probe.
Wolverhampton pastor Donald Nwachuckwu, from the Kingdom of Godfire church in Ward Street, Bilston, and a 33-year-old man from Bilston, who cannot be named for legal reasons, joined forces with law student Olatunji George to cash in on a valuable asset – a person's right to stay in the UK and claim benefits.
The pastor, 41, of Titford Road, Oldbury, found West Africans prepared to pay up to £6,500 for their services. The Bilston man, also found guilty of forgery, created false utility bills, rent books, pay slips and employment records to fabricate personal histories.
George, 44, of Taylor Road, Tividale, used his legal studies to organise the bogus paperwork into applications for a European Economic Area (EEA) resident's card.
The brides and grooms were promised up to £1,800 each to take part in the plot which ran from January 2012 to March last year.
During investigations into the crime, records were found at the home of George which related to the wedding of Peter Frederick, 27, of Crowther Street, Whitmore Reans, and 38-year-old Lenka Jacova, of Quatford Gardens, Park Village, who tied the knot at Shrewsbury Register Office on July 29, 2013.
Register office officials complained the pair were unable to converse in the same language and had little interaction during the service.
The pair were among eight others also convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law who will be sentenced on October 21.
Also convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law were: Victor Ibeh, 32, of Mostyn Street, Whitmore Reans; Cherene Cotterill, 27, Thornhill Road, and Pavel Farbar, 30,of Oxhill Road, Handsworth; Jozef Puzo, 28, of St Pauls Road, Smethwick; Idris Agia, 31, of Hodnet Grove, Highgate; Aishatu Ibrahim, 25, from Routh Road, Oxford. Frederick also admitted possession of a false passport.
