U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has handed down a decision on Dilrabo Obidova, a 36-year-old woman from Uzbekistan, involved in a multifaceted immigration and passport fraud scheme. In a case that showcases the complexities of immigration law and enforcement, Obidova received a time-served sentence after being detained pending her trial. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she was ordered deported immediately back to Uzbekistan, with no option to apply for asylum or other immigration relief.
Details from court documents reveal that this conspiracy dates back to at least 2007 when Obidova and her husband, Abduvosit Razikov, set in motion a plan to bring her to the United States. While Obidova entered into a false marriage with a U.S. citizen, Razikov remains at large. Documented evidence includes jointly filed tax returns, staged photographs, and the strategic naming on their children's birth certificates, all to maintain the façade of her illegitimate union with a U.S. citizen.
The conspiracy didn't stop at mere residency. Persevering to secure her place in America, Obidova eyed the prize of citizenship. In her application for naturalization, she blatantly made false statements under oath concerning her marital history and previous attempts to manipulate the immigration system. Her endeavors came to an abrupt end when the law caught up to her at her final naturalization interview in Orlando, as reported by the Justice Department.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force spearheaded the investigation, with key support from the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other significant agency contributors. Assistant United States Attorneys Kara M. Wick and Richard Varadan were at the helm of the prosecution.
