Alexandria, Virginia, USA, 14 November 2008 (InformPress.com) – Muhammad Saleem, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, residing in Montgomery County, Maryland, was sentenced today to five months in prison, followed by five months of home confinement as a condition of his two year supervised release. On September 5, 2008, Saleem pled guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud and agreed to forfeit $250,000 of his illegal proceeds to the United States. Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Edgar Moreno, Assistant Director, Domestic Operations with the Diplomatic Security Service at the Department of State; Mark X. McGraw, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington Field Office; and Gordon S. Heddell, Inspector General of the Department of Labor, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

According to court documents, Muhammad Saleem operated the Lahore Foundation in Burtonsville, Maryland. Through the Lahore Foundation, Saleem recruited aliens overseas and fraudulently obtained visas for these aliens to enter the United States. Upon their arrival, Saleem housed the aliens in residences he owned and then employed the aliens through other companies he operated, namely Scientech Personnel, SVP Staffers, and Profourcing. Through these companies and in exchange for
an hourly fee, Saleem illegally contracted the aliens to construction companies to work as electricians in violation of their visa status. Saleem passed only a portion of the hourly fee to the aliens who
performed the labor. Saleem also assisted the aliens in obtaining an extension of their status to remain as a visitor, when in fact the aliens continued working through the defendant.

The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Labor. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beth N. Gibson.