Kenyan Woman Deported After Conviction for Using Sister’s Documents at Dulles Airport

A Kenyan national was deported from the United States on Thursday following her conviction for using her sister’s travel documents to attempt entry at Washington Dulles International Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers identified the impostor, Christin Nyabate Nyandemo, during an inspection in February and referred the case to federal prosecutors, who secured a conviction under federal law prohibiting visa fraud and false personation.

Nyandemo, 33, arrived on a flight from Accra, Ghana on February 21 and presented a Kenya passport and U.S. B1/B2 visitor visa. During a secondary examination, she admitted to using her sister’s documents in an effort to enter the country. Officers noted her inability to correctly answer questions about past travel associated with the documents she carried.

Further inspection revealed additional personal documents belonging to her sister, including tax records, credit cards, and a birth certificate. These findings confirmed the deception, leading to her immediate arrest by CBP officers and subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Nyandemo was charged under Title 18, U.S. Code Section 1546, a statute covering fraud and misuse of visas and related documents. Following her conviction, CBP removed her from the United States in accordance with immigration enforcement procedures. Officials emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to detect and deter fraudulent entry attempts at U.S. ports of entry.

CBP officers and agriculture specialists at ports of entry continue to carry out the agency’s border security mission, screening travelers and cargo for illegal or harmful items including narcotics, counterfeit goods, and prohibited agricultural materials.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release.

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