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Six people were charged Tuesday in connection with a “birth tourism” and money laundering project in Long Island, NY, which resulted in the birth of 119 children in the United States, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
From January 2017 to September 2020, 117 mothers traveled from Turkey to give birth in the United States so that their children could obtain citizenship and benefits. This resulted in losses of $ 2.1 million for Medicaid, authorities said.
“Using internet advertisements, the defendants committed an international fraud which relied on a parade of women who paid them thousands of dollars in fees to enter the United States under false pretenses, to give birth here,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme. “The defendants took advantage of the desire to obtain citizenship by birth, and the US taxpayer eventually got stuck with the $ 2.1 million bill.”
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Five people were arrested on Tuesday. The sixth accused has not been named.
The accused – four Turkish nationals and two US citizens – are Sarah Kaplan, 46, of Center Moriches – also known as “Hatun Kaplan” and “Hatin Kaplan” – Ibrahim Aksakal, 48, of East Patchogue, also known as “Dennis”; Enes Burak Cakiroglu, 24, from East Patchogue; Fiordalia Marte, 41, of Lindenhurst, also known as “Lisa”; and Edgar Rodriguez, 48, of Farmingville, known as “Eddie,” the DOJ said.
The group is accused of having established “birth houses” in Suffolk County where pregnant women could stay until they give birth. They were also asked to submit tourist visa applications falsely indicating they were traveling to the United States for tourism and business purposes, prosecutors said.
Aksakal, Cakiroglu and Kaplan are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, healthcare, wire transfer and money laundering. Marte and Rodriguez have been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering.
Marte and Rodriguez were professionally trained and certified to help individuals apply for health coverage, which resulted in Medicaid fraud, prosecutors said.
The group reportedly used Turkish Facebook pages and a Turkish website to advertise its services. A site, “My Baby Should Be Born in America,” reportedly advertised transportation and hospital costs, medical care, and help applying for US citizenship on behalf of the children.
“If you think your baby should be born in the United States and become a US citizen, you’ve come to the right place,” one ad read.
Fees averaged around $ 7,500 – almost all paid in cash – and included transportation, prenatal care, childbirth and postnatal medical care, as well as help applying for U.S. citizenship on behalf of the children. born in the United States, according to the indictment. The women were also instructed to cover up their pregnancies, prosecutors said.
In total, the suspects pocketed $ 750,000 in fees from the regime, authorities said.
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The accused each face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
“This indictment should send a message to others operating birth tourism – defrauding the system and defrauding our residents is not tolerated here in Suffolk,” said Geraldine Hart, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department .
The possible consequences of the case on children’s citizenship were unclear.
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