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Jamaican convicted of naturalisation fraud in US

A Jamaican-born convicted child molester has been found guilty of committing US naturalization fraud.

Gregory Maxwell Palmer, 48, who is serving a state prison sentence for a previous crime, was convicted by a federal jury in Charlotte, North Carolina after a two-day trial presided over by US District Judge Frank D. Whitney.

A sentencing date has not been set.

The maximum penalty for unlawful procurement of citizenship is 10 years in prison and a US$250 thousand fine.

US Attorney Dena J. King said Palmer used lies and deceit to cheat his way into an American citizenship.

According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial and witness testimony, Palmer sexually abused a minor while residing in Gastonia, North Carolina in 2008.

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said Palmer later obtained his US citizenship fraudulently by providing materially false information on his citizenship application.

Trial evidence established that during the naturalization process, Palmer lied about his criminal history and failed to admit that prior to applying for citizenship, he had knowingly committed sexual acts with a child.



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