WASHINGTON, United States (CMC)–Two Jamaicans are among 17 naturalised citizens set to be stripped of their United States (US) citizenship after being accused of serious offences, including sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and distributing drugs wholesale without a licence.

According to the Department of Justice, the Caribbean nationals are from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.

According to the US authorities, prior to naturalising in 2011, Rodger George Gurdon, a native of Jamaica, engaged in a conspiracy to steal and resell medical products from military hospitals operated by the Department of Defense.

They said Gurdon, 55, likewise engaged in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 100 kilograms of a substance containing marijuana. In 2013, after he naturalised, Gurdon pled guilty to conspiring to steal pre-retail medical products, Interstate receipt of stolen property, and conspiring to distribute marijuana, with the conspiracies occurring during the period in which Gurdon was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character to naturalise.

The denaturalisation complaint against Gurdon alleges that, during the period in which he was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character, Gurdon was precluded from doing so because he had committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character, and falsely testified about his crimes.

Additionally, the complaint alleges that Gurdon willfully misrepresented the material fact of his crimes during his naturalisation proceedings.

The US authorities say over an eight-year period, including during his 2012-2014 naturalisation proceedings, 49-year-old,Talman Harris, a native of Jamaica, conspired to manipulate the price and volume of shares of stock in publicly traded companies, causing more than US$54 million to be invested in artificially controlled shares and an ultimate loss to investors of approximately US$39 million from the scheme.

They said in 2016, after Harris naturalised, a jury found him guilty of wire fraud and conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, with his fraudulent wire transfers and the conspiracy occurring during the period in which Harris was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character to naturalise.

They said the denaturalisation complaint against Harris alleges that, during the period in which he was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character, he committed a crime involving moral turpitude, committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character, and falsely testified about his crime.

The complaint additionally alleges that Harris willfully misrepresented the material fact of his crimes during his naturalisation proceedings.

The US justice officials said that before his naturalisation in 2016, 30-year-old Ronnie Price of Trinidad and Tobago had sexual intercourse with a female who was under 16, a statutory rape crime to which he eventually pled guilty.

They said during his naturalisation proceedings, however, Price claimed he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, he falsely testified to the same, and he concealed facts that would have uncovered his criminal activity.

“The denaturalisation complaint alleges that Price engaged in unlawful conduct during a critical statutory period during which he was required by law to maintain good moral character, that he provided false testimony during his naturalisation interview, and that he did so in order to conceal his crimes and willfully misrepresent material facts that would have revealed his ineligibility for the privilege of United States citizenship,” the Department of Justice said.

Regarding the case of Jean Claude Alfred, a native of Haiti, the justice department said that he was naturalised as a US citizen in 1994.

“Beginning in September 1993, approximately one month before filing his naturalisation application, Alfred repeatedly sexually abused his minor daughter and continued that conduct during the pendency of his naturalisation proceedings.

“During the naturalisation process, Alfred represented in his application and under oath that he had not committed any crime for which he had not been arrested and concealed his ongoing criminal conduct.”

The Justice Department said that in 1996, a Florida jury convicted Alfred of attempted sexual battery upon a child in a familial or custodial relationship and lewd, lascivious, and indecent assault upon a child under the age of 16 for Alfred’s criminal conduct that began in September 1993, before he naturalised.

“The denaturalisation complaint alleges that Alfred illegally procured his citizenship because he provided false testimony which prevented him from establishing good moral character required for naturalisation. The complaint further alleges that Alfred obtained citizenship through the concealment and willful misrepresentation of material facts concerning his sexual abuse of a minor,” the Department of Justice added.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, said when criminal aliens exploit the naturalisation process by breaking the law, there are consequences.

“Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters. Gaining US citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process,” said Blanche.

“We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to make sure US citizenship is granted to those who truly deserve it,” he added.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalised US citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalisation canceled, if the naturalisation was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.