FALLS CHURCH LAWYER IS SENTENCED FOR IMMIGRATION FRAUD

Washington Post

Author: From News Services and Staff Reports

A Falls Church immigration lawyer accused of arranging sham marriages tried yesterday to withdraw her guilty plea, but a federal judge in Alexandria ruled that she was mentally competent when she admitted she tried to defraud the Immigration and Naturalization Service

My-Linh Duong Soland, 54, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for her role in abetting 30 illegal aliens in marrying U.S. citizens to obtain permanent residence. The couples did not live together and were coached by Soland on how to fool immigration investigators by creating false billing and other records, authorities said.

According to court records, Soland also tried to pay off witnesses for their silence and, in one case, hired a private investigator to physically threaten a potential witness.

U.S. District Judge Albert V. Bryan Jr. rejected arguments by Soland's attorney that she was severely depressed and distraught when she pleaded guilty in June to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and obstruction of justice