By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
AN alleged victim who requested anonymity told Variety that Venerando Aquino Martin charged more than $3,000 to process a U.S. permanent residency application.
Martin has been accused in federal court of fraudulently filing green card applications for himself and 242 others under the C16 eligibility category, which requires continuous residence in the United States since before Jan. 1, 1972.
According to a federal complaint, Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer Paul Quizon arrested Martin, a Filipino national, at his Koblerville residence on Oct. 15. He faces three counts: one for making a false statement on an immigration document on June 25, 2023, and two for obtaining immigration documents by fraud on Sept. 23, 2023, and June 18, 2024.
The alleged victim, who has lived in the CNMI for 20 years, said Martin promised legal status.
“He told me that I would have legal status and proper immigration documents,” the alleged victim said. “I didn’t know it was a scam. Now I understand why he didn’t want me to check the status of my application online.”
The alleged victim said the application was submitted via money order in late June 2024. “The recent notification I received was that the I-786 and I-485 applications were denied,” the alleged victim added.
Martin was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled to appear in federal court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 31 at 9 a.m.
The complaint states that in August 2024, HSI-Saipan investigators received tips from independent sources, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, about suspicious immigration benefit filings.
“Specifically, approximately 242 immigration benefit applications for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) under the same eligibility category (C16) were submitted listing the same Saipan mailing address (‘Target Mailing’),” the complaint said.
Law enforcement database checks linked the address to Martin, who listed his physical residence as Adobu Drive, Koblerville, Saipan. Records also show Martin first entered the United States on or about Sept. 10, 2000.
Investigators said Martin submitted Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) and Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) on June 25, 2023, using the same mailing address. USCIS issued him an EAD while his I-485 was pending.
A review of the applications revealed Martin selected the C16 category, despite border-crossing records and his own statements confirming he had not been continuously present in the U.S. since before 1972, as required.
Additional filings in March 2024 linked to Martin’s address raised further red flags, investigators said.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
