Branson workers indicted for visa fraud

Director Serguei Choukline, also known as Anton Kim, 48, his wife, Irina Choukline, 44, who was secretary, and employees Anna Bauer, 28, Irina Lemetyuynen, 38, and Angnieszka Koblenc, 31, were charged in a 17-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Nov. 15, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri Bradley J. Schlozman said Friday.

Midwest Hotel Management Corp., 1316 W. Highway 76, provides workers to area hotels.

The Chouklines and Lemetyuynen were born in Russia and reside in Springfield, Bauer was born in Russia and resides in Falls Church, Va., and Koblenc was born in Poland and resides in Springfield.

The indictment involves the use of temporary worker visas, which allow foreign workers to be employed if a legitimate need is determined. The co-defendants allegedly made false statements and committed mail fraud, visa fraud and alien inducement since May 2002 in Branson and Springfield.

The company allegedly submitted 15 foreign labor visa applications containing numerous false statements in order to obtain 300 foreign labor visas, including those for Lopez, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc. Also according to the indictment, the company earned about $1.5 million through its illegally obtained foreign work force.

False statements on the visa applications allegedly included fictitious corporate officers, fake reference letters, fraudulent employment interviews of U.S. citizens and improperly listed places of employment, according to the indictment.

The Chouklines, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc were arrested Nov. 16 and had their initial appearance in federal court in Springfield. Bauer was arrested and appeared in federal court in Virginia. Lemetyuynen and Koblenc remain in federal custody pending a Dec. 1 hearing, and the Chouklines and Bauer were released on bonds.

The indictment replaces an earlier indictment by adding Irina Choukline, Bauer, Lemetyuynen and Koblenc as defendants and omitting Monica A. Lopez, 25, a Mexican citizen residing in Branson. Lopez, who was the company’s director of human resources, pleaded guilty Feb. 8 to aiding and abetting visa fraud.