Eight Romanians plead guilty to immigration fraud

BOISE, Idaho (AP):

Eight Romanians who arrived in Idaho a decade ago face deportation after federal prosecutors say they entered sham marriages to stay illegally in America.

Some were students, lured by work at the famed Sun Valley Resort. Some were friends, siblings or cousins from mountainous Transylvania. Since then, they've established lives in the United States (US), buying homes, having kids and starting businesses. They formed the nucleus of a tight-knit Romanian community in south-central Idaho.

But US Attorney Wendy Olson said they all lied to stay: Since 2012, seven have pleaded guilty to fraud, while another awaits US District Court proceedings in Boise. Though it could be months before their cases go through federal immigration courts, the Romanians' fate is likely sealed: They'll have to exit, forbidden to ever return.

BIG DECISIONS

"They're not just having to leave the country," Olson said. "They're having to figure out what to do about homes, businesses and loved ones."

Victor Raul Fenesan, 32; his partner, Claudia Luminita Beian, 34; Ramona Fleischer, 32; her husband, Florin Fleischer, 33; Simona Rus, 31; Stefan Csaba Csep, 32; and Lucean Ioan Belean, 30, have all pleaded guilty to immigration-related fraud. An eighth person was indicted in October.