Russian Employee Arrested for Fraud

Suzanne Presto writes for Voice of America:

U.S. authorities arrested an United Nations’ Russian employee on Monday on charges of immigration fraud. From VOA’s New York bureau, Suzanne Presto reports the man is accused of using his position at the U.N. to help foreigners enter the United States illegally.

U.N. Spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed the arrest of Vyacheslav Manokhin, a Russian translator at U.N. headquarters in Manhattan. Haq noted that the world body has been cooperating with the investigation into immigration fraud.

“We did receive word that Vyacheslav Manokhin, who is a U.N. employee, was charged with immigration fraud by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York,” said Haq. “On the 27th of July, we informed the U.S. attorney that the Secretary General had waived Mr. Manokhin’s immunity, in accordance with the relevant legal treaties.”

Manokhin is a Russian citizen. He and two other men who are not employed by the U.N. are in U.S. custody in connection to the immigration scam.

One of those defendants was born in Russia and granted political asylum in the United States. The other is a citizen of Uzbekistan.

Authorities say the three defendants prepared or obtained phony documents requesting U.S. entry visas. The letters were presented to consular officials and others in Uzbekistan in support of visa applications.”  Click here for the rest of the story.

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