22 charged in massive
int. Visa scheme

NORFOLK, Va. - WAVY.com has learned a federal grand jury indicted 22 foreign nationals and U.S. citizens for their part in a massive immigration-related fraud.

A news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office notes a 74-count indictment: "Since March 2001, the defendants and co-conspirators carried out a conspiracy involving visa and asylum fraud, marriage fraud, making fraudulent statements under oath, and filing fraudulent documents to obtain foreign labor visas for hundreds of alien employees."

It also states that some visa petitions sought to bring in more alien workers than what hotels or businesses had contracted.

The news release also notes, "As cited in the indictment, the aliens were encouraged or induced to enter or reside in the United States, and transported and shielded from detection for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

A joint investigation by both state and local law officials helped nab the following suspects:

The individuals charged are:

Piotr Baravik, age 27, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Belarus;

Charles Bond, age 37, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in the United States;

Sheryl Brown, age 37, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Jamaica;

Ryan Bulkley, age 24, of Richmond, Virginia, born in the United States;

Jekaterina Cerednicenko, a/k/a ?Katrina Bond,? age 27 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Latvia;

Viktorija Cudnovska, a/k/a ?Victoria Webb,? age 27, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Latvia;

Maryia Halushkina, age 27, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Belarus;

Vahe Harutyunyan, age 34, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Armenia;

Dzmitry Krasautsau, age 28, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Belarus;

Viktar Krus, age 28, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Belarus;

Katsiaryna Kukharchuk, age 23, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Belarus;

Polina Kulesh, age 23, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Kazakhstan;

Otis Martin age 48, of Suffolk, Virginia, born in the United States;

Jana Mizakova, age 25, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Slovakia;

Anastassiya Nagibina, age 23, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Kazakhstan;

Inna Palkova, age 22, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Russia;

Patricia Pochtaruk, age 53, of Cape Coral, Florida, born in the United States;

Ksenia Stekolstsikova, age 29, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Estonia;

Janos Tamas, age 30, of St. Augustine, Florida, born in Hungary;

Gabor Teglasi, age 38, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, born in Hungary;

Ivan Ukolov, age 25, of Saint Charles, Illinois, born in Russia; and

Dana Whitney, age 36, of Fort Meyers, Florida, born in the United States.