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Woman from Samoa indicted for claiming U.S. citizenship

A 43-year old woman, whom prosecutors say is a citizen of Samoa, is facing several charges including passport fraud and a false claim of U.S. citizenship at the federal court in Anchorage, Alaska.

 

Court records shows that a grand jury handed down on Apr. 16 a seven-page indictment against Maualuga Leaana, aka, Sialei Leaana, who is charged with one count of passport fraud, nine counts of false claims of being a U.S. citizen and one count of aggravated identify theft.

 

Maualuga appeared Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah M. Smith for arraignment and she entered a not guilty plea to all charges. The defendant remained on release with special conditions set by the court, according to court documents, which also state that a jury trial is set for July 28 this year.

 

According to the indictment, the defendant entered the U.S. in 1998 using a Western Samoa passport. She was then lawfully present on a student visa, which expired in 1999, and there is no record of her departure. Since 1999, her presence in the U.S. was therefore unlawful.

 

It also says that the defendant — using either her own name or the name of Sialei Leaana (her sister) or both — falsely claimed U.S. citizenship or nationality to apply for numerous benefits to which she was not entitled, including a U.S passport, and social security card.

 

According to the indictment, the defendant had obtained and began using a counterfeit American Samoa birth certificate. Further, Sialei Leaana, is a citizen of Samoa, and there is no record of her ever entering or being found in the U.S., although Sialei Leaana is a real person.

 

Samoa News should point out that it remains unclear at this point as to how and when the defendant obtained the fake American Samoa birth certificate and how authorities in Alaska learned of the defendant’s false identity and her crime.

 

ALLEGATIONS

 

The indictment alleges that in July 2010, the defendant falsely stated on an application for a U.S. passport that her name was Sialei Leaana, that she was born in American Samoa, and that she was a citizen or national of the U.S. The false claimed resulted in her being issued a U.S. passport in August of the same year.

 

The indictment further alleges that the defendant did knowingly make a false statement and claim that she was a U.S. citizen or national with the intent to obtain federal and state benefits.

 

Court documents show that the defendant made nine separate claims for federal and state benefits resulting in the nine counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.

 

The false claim of citizenship, according to the indictment, resulted in the defendant collecting a total of $14,441.12 in Permanent Fund Division (PFD) dividend payments and $17,400 in federal and state unemployment benefits.

 

Court documents reveal that Alaska residents who are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for and receive dividends from the state of Alaska, as are lawful permanent residents. Persons in the U.S. on visas or those illegally present are not eligible.

 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska said in a statement Monday that the defendant faces a maximum 10-years in prison for passport fraud and two years in jail for identify theft, while each false claim of citizenship charge has a maximum five-year term of imprisonment. Additionally, each count in the indictment carries a maximum fine of $250,000.