Overview
- The Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint on September 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division.
- The suit names Fernando Adrián Moio Bartolini, 50, of Windermere, Florida, alleging he falsely claimed Cuban birth to obtain immigration benefits under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
- Court records state he purchased a fraudulent Cuban birth certificate and passport around 2004 for about $5,000, received permanent residency in 2007 retroactive to 2004, and became a U.S. citizen in 2009.
- The scheme came to light in June 2013 when a CBP officer on his flight from Medellín to Miami noted his Argentine accent, prompting an interrogation that led to his arrest and a guilty plea for false statements and passport misuse.
- DOJ seeks to annul his 2009 naturalization, bar any benefits from it, and recover issued documents, and if fraud is proven under the INA he could lose citizenship retroactively and face removal.