Originally published Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 2:54 PM

Couple charged in Seattle with gay immigration fraud

A federal grand jury in Seattle has charged two people in an alleged immigration fraud conspiracy, saying they advised straight immigrants to claim homosexuality in applying for political asylum.

By The Seattle Times

A federal grand jury in Seattle has charged two people in an alleged immigration fraud conspiracy, saying they advised straight immigrants to claim homosexuality in applying for political asylum.

Steven Mahoney and his wife, Helena, were arrested today and scheduled to make initial appearances at U.S. District Court in Seattle in the afternoon.

Prosecutors say Steve Mahoney ran Mahoney and Associates in Kent, and held himself out as an expert in immigration affairs. They say the point was to make money by advising immigrants on how to stay in the U.S.

According to an indictment unsealed Tuesday, the Mahoneys in at least three cases advised immigrants to falsely claim that they feared persecution for homosexuality if they returned to their home country.

The immigrants are identified by their initials only in the charging papers, and their home countries are not identified.

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