CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Western), published as received.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte convicted Gregory Maxwell Palmer, 48, a naturalized citizen of Jamaica, of naturalization fraud, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney presided over the two-day trial which ended yesterday evening.

Sean Ervin, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division (ICE-ERO) joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

“Palmer used lies and deceit to cheat his way into an American citizenship,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Today’s guilty verdict holds Palmer accountable for his actions and sends a warning message to those who attempt to compromise the integrity of our naturalization process and violate our country’s immigration laws: You will not go unpunished.”

“Palmer’s attempts to exploit our nation’s immigration system have been discovered and now he faces the consequences of his actions,” said Director Ervin. “ERO and its law enforcement partners will continue to target those who seek to violate the sanctity of the U.S. immigration system.”

According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, in 2008, while Palmer was residing in Gastonia, N.C., he sexually abused a minor. Palmer later obtained his U.S. citizenship fraudulently by providing materially false information on his citizenship application. Trial evidence established that, during the naturalization process, Palmer lied about his criminal history, and failed to admit that prior to applying for citizenship, he had knowingly committed sexual acts with a child.

According to trial evidence, on May 5, 2011, Palmer submitted an application for naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). Palmer lied on the application form by responding “No” to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Palmer signed the form under penalty of perjury, and certified that his answers were true and correct. On October 5, 2011, Palmer appeared at the CIS office in Charlotte for a naturalization interview. During the interview, Palmer swore under oath that his responses on the naturalization application were true and that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. On October 20, 2011, Palmer participated in a naturalization ceremony at the CIS office in Charlotte and was granted U.S. citizenship.

According to court records, on June 6, 2013, in the Gaston County Superior Court, Palmer pleaded guilty to attempted statutory rape and was ordered to serve between 157 and 198 months in prison. Palmer admitted to having committed the crime on June 17, 2008, by taking advantage of a position of trust with a minor victim. Palmer was not arrested for the crime until after he became a naturalized citizen. Court documents show that while Palmer was going through the naturalization process, immigration officials were not aware of his criminal actions.

Palmer is currently serving a state prison sentence. The maximum penalty for unlawful procurement of citizenship is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked ICE-ERO for their investigation of the case and credited Operation False Haven, which led to Palmer’s conviction. False Haven is an ongoing ERO initiative purpose-built to identify individuals who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Smith and Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecution.