Forever...or for citizenship?
Soldiers from Fort Bragg have been implicated in a scam to facilitate marriages between female soldiers and immigrants in exchange for benefits.
Sgt. Edward Anguah is currently in federal custody awaiting a Jan. 31 hearing, and an arrest warrant has been issued for Spc. Ahmid Mohammed-Murtadaas.
One of the arranged wives, Pvt. Endasia East, revealed the scam when she was investigated for a sexual relationship with another soldier who was not her husband. When the scam started to surface, Homeland Security took over.
An investigation found that East married Sulemana Ibrahim on July 24, 2018 — in exchange for the increase in basic allowance for housing, $1,250 for rent, and an additional undisclosed amount of money for furniture. East met Ibrahim at Fort Bragg on July 23, according to court documents, and married him the next day at the Cumberland County courthouse.
Anguah, known as the "facilitator," met with the newlyweds later that night to discuss strategies against the US Citizenship and Immigration Service system. This included staged photos, practice sessions for USCIS interviews, and Ibrahim's name on her legal documents. East said that during the meeting, Anguah made it clear that he had completed this process in the past.
According to East, Anguah also asked her to identify more soldiers who would want a similar setup — which gave the Department of Homeland Security the perfect opportunity for a sting.
The undercover agent met with Anguah at a Starbucks. If she agreed to marry Kawaphoom Hoomkwap, Anguah would cover the wedding dress, a ring, and give her whatever was left of the $6,000 fee he charged after he took his own cut.
Anguah was arrested on Monday.
“We take allegations of misconduct seriously and it is important for everyone on our team to live and demonstrate the Army Values every day,” Lt. Col. Michael Burns, XVIII Airborne Corps spokesman, told Army Times on Monday.