Worcester Man Pleads Guilty To Marriage Fraud

WORCESTER, MA—A Worcester man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with entering into six fraudulent marriages in order to evade immigration laws, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Peter Hicks, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of marriage fraud. He will be sentenced on Dec. 4 of this year. Hicks was arrested and charged in January 2018 and released on conditions following an initial appearance.

In 1014, federal investigators found that Hicks had married six foreign national women from Sub-Saharan Africa between 2003 and 2013. Hicks filed for immigration benefits for four of his six wives.

During a routine interview as part of his application for benefits for a non-citizen spouse, Hicks admitted to marrying three of the women solely to obtain immigration benefits for them, said the U.S. Attorney. During a second interview with immigration officials, Hicks admitted that he was paid to recruit people for fraudulent marriages. During an interview with federal agents on Jan. 8, 2015, Hicks admitted that he was involved in marriage fraud for approximately 13 years, and that he received payments to marry undocumented African women and to find willing United States citizens to marry illegal aliens for the purpose of allowing the women to establish legal status in the United States.

In addition, on at least one occasion, Hicks was still married to one spouse at the time of his marriage to another spouse. Hicks also fraudulently claimed on an immigration form submitted on behalf of one of his spouses, that he had only one former spouse and that he had only petitioned for immigration benefits for the one former spouse, when, in fact, Hicks had actually been married five times and submitted requests for immigration benefits for a number of his former spouses.

Hicks could get up to five years in prison three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

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