Visa fraudster Khan released from US jail
Awaits deportation
Stabroek News
January 7, 2003
Halim Khan, the West Coast businessman convicted of fraud for his role in the visa sale ring organised by former US embassy official Thomas Carroll was released from a federal prison in the US on December 19.
He was released into the custody of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service pending his voluntary deportation to Guyana.
Khan had pleaded guilty to the visa fraud charges and was sentenced to three years in jail together with the forfeiture of US$250,000 in August. But he was given credit for the time he was incarcerated since his arrest in March 2000, hence his release so soon after he was sentenced.
Carroll who did not co-operate with the US District Attorney received a 21-year sentence in addition to US$1M in cash and gold bars being taken away from him at the time of his arrest. He has appealed the sentence as being excessive.
About the forfeiture of Khan's property in Guyana, Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj told Stabroek News that to his knowledge, the US government has made no move to enforce the forfeiture as ordered by the US court which sentenced Khan. He said that to effect the forfeiture the US government would have to apply to the court in Guyana for an order that would give effect to the one made by the US court.
Meanwhile, Khan's return is being held up as the documents forwarded to the Guyana Consulate in New York by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service have to be sent to the Immigration Department here for processing. Stabroek News has been reliably informed that the documents have not yet reached Guyana.
As part of a deal which meant he received a lighter sentence, Khan identified a number of policemen and local businessmen who were involved with Carroll in the sale of the US visas. Among those were Hargobin Mortley, who was given a short sentence in return for his testimony against Carroll and the late Superintendent of Police, Leon Fraser.
Khan also disclosed his alien smuggling activities between Canada and the US as a result of which a popular concert promoter was convicted, jailed and deported from the US after serving his sentence.
