A federal grand jury has indicted Yousif Abdulraouf Alhallaq, a former physician from Ohio, on charges of naturalization fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced that Alhallaq could face up to 10 years in prison for allegedly providing false information during the U.S. citizenship process—both on his application and during an in-person interview.
False Statements on Citizenship Application
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Originally from Kuwait and a Jordanian national when he entered the U.S. on an H1B visa in 2006, Alhallaq is accused of falsely answering questions on Form N-400. In his application for citizenship, he marked “no” when asked about prior involvement in violent crimes. However, in 2021, Alhallaq pleaded guilty to attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault stemming from a 2014 incident.
He applied for lawful permanent residency in 2011 and was granted status. Despite the 2014 attack, Alhallaq became a naturalized U.S. citizen in May 2018, reaffirming the same false answers during an in-person interview with immigration officials. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the incident in question involved poisoning a pregnant victim in an attempt to end the pregnancy.
Serious Allegations of Deception
The indictment alleges that Alhallaq knowingly misled immigration authorities, both in writing and verbally, about his criminal background. Prosecutor Matthew W. Shepherd emphasized the gravity of misrepresenting such information during the naturalization process. Prosecutors also stated that the court would consider his criminal history and specific role in the offense when determining sentencing.
Federal Investigation and Legal Process
The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), underlining the dual criminal and immigration dimensions involved.
The U.S. Department of Justice stressed that “an indictment is merely an allegation.” Alhallaq is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, his sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and may be less than 10 years, based on the court’s consideration of relevant factors.
