PHILADELPHIA, PA – On Friday, Philadelphia City Treasurer Christian Dunbar was charged with embezzling thousands of dollars, as well as multiple immigration fraud charges, which resulted in the Liberian immigrant obtaining U.S. citizenship, according to court documents.
Dunbar, along with his current wife, are both accused of entering into sham marriages, in order to come to this country from Africa, and ultimately obtain U.S. citizenship.
In a press release, United States Attorney William M. McSwain stated:
The Criminal Complaint alleges that the defendant and his current wife, identified in the Complaint by the initials “F.N.D.,” both entered into fraudulent marriages, Dunbar with Person #1 and his wife with Person #2. Prior to these sham marriages, Persons #1 and #2 were U.S. citizens, but Dunbar and F.N.D. were not – having been born in Liberia and Senegal, respectively. By marrying U.S. citizens, Dunbar and F.N.D. were able to gain their own U.S. citizenship.
Both of these sham marriages occurred within days of each other in December 2006 and were performed by the same officiant — a former Temple University professor.
'The alleged conduct in this case shows a pattern of deception, dishonesty and criminality that no individual should ever engage in – but is especially alarming and intolerable for a high ranking City official...City officials whose job is to handle money should not be thieves. And they should not have a track record of engaging in elaborate immigration fraud against the public that they are supposed to serve.'
As far a the embezzlement charges, Dunbar is accused of stealing $15,000 from two customers at the Newtown Square Wells Fargo Bank branch, where he worked as a financial adviser.
Dunbar used customers' “blank slips to withdraw cash from the victims' account(s) and deposit those funds into his own personal bank account,” stated charging documents.
Dunbar has been charged with embezzlement by a bank employee, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, and fraudulent procurement of citizenship.
If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in federal prison.
