Liberia-born man, 72, convicted of naturalization fraud after concealing child sex crimes; federal judge orders him to depart the United States at his own expense
Husneara Choudhury:
— A federal judge has revoked the U.S. citizenship of Cyril Domaquik Clemens, 72, a native of Liberia, after he pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud stemming from false statements made during his citizenship application process. The court also ordered him to leave the United States at his own expense.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted in the investigation that led to Clemens’ conviction. On September 17, a federal judge sentenced him to time served, revoked his naturalized U.S. citizenship and ordered him to depart the country at his own expense.
Clemens pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud on June 18. The announcement was made by Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
False Statements on Citizenship Application
According to court records, Clemens knowingly made materially false statements under penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during his USCIS interview.
He answered “No” when asked whether he had ever forced or attempted to force another person to engage in sexual contact or relations. He also denied ever committing, assisting in, or attempting to commit a crime for which he had not been arrested.
Clemens became a naturalized U.S. citizen on February 19, 2021.
Decade-Long Abuse of a Child
On April 3, 2023, Clemens pleaded guilty in Durham County Superior Court in North Carolina to three counts of indecent liberties with a child.
He admitted to sexually molesting a child over more than a decade, from November 1, 2011, through March 7, 2022. The child was only four years old when the abuse began.
A state judge sentenced Clemens to a prison term ranging from one year and four months to two years and five months and ordered him to register as a sex offender.
Investigators determined that Clemens committed the offenses before submitting his naturalization application and making false statements to USCIS. However, he was not arrested until after becoming a U.S. citizen. USCIS officials were unaware of his offenses when they approved his application.
Federal Agencies Conduct Joint Investigation
The investigation involved personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, along with USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.
The case is part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing federal initiative targeting child molesters and other serious offenders who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits.
USCIS encourages the public to report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse through its official online tip form.
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
