MOBILE PHONE, Alabama – Gulf Shores resident Andreas «A.J. » Andreasen Jr. Endured in the front of a federal judge Thursday to master their punishment for wedding fraud. Their wife that is czech was the courtroom, so when it had been over, they went house together.
A outcome that is strange a few that admitted in available court that their union had been a sham to evade U.S. Immigration law. Then again, it is probably the many atypical of all the wedding fraudulence instances that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Mobile has prosecuted in the last couple of years.
Both Andreasen along with his spouse, Katerina Petrasova Andreasen, stated they only reluctantly consented to plead bad since they would not wish to risk planning to jail.
“If it was a sham wedding that she would have nothing to gain at this point by keeping up appearances if the marriage was not real like they say it was, we would never be living together now, ” said Katerina Andreasen, who added.
On Chief U.S. District Judge William Steele sentenced A.J. Andreasen to five years of probation and fined him $1,000 thursday. It’s the exact same sentence that U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade imposed on their spouse week that is last. The major distinction is the fact that Katerina Andreasen now faces deportation that is possible.
Steele noted A.J. Andreasen’s spotless criminal record, stable work history and good standing in the community. “It seems Mr. Andreasen was gainfully used by almost all of their life, ” the judge said.
Andreasen stated he came across Katerina Andreasen, 33, eight years back whenever their daddy took A scuba class along with her, after which she started diving because of the whole family members. A.J. Andreasen, an old Elberta book police and a volunteer that is longtime in Fort Morgan, stated the 2 started dating in 2008.
They drove to Pensacola on Aug. 18, 2009, to obtain a married relationship license, nine times when they and a small grouping of buddies took boats to Robinson Island near Orange Beach to possess a casual wedding party.
They said they lived together for around 2? years before strife intruded regarding the union.
A.J. Andreasen, 32, invited women buddy looking for make it possible to transfer to their house. Katerina Andreasen stated she relocated down.
“Two girls in one single household don’t go together, ” she said.
But Andreasen said she stayed near to her husband’s household. And she ultimately reconciled with him.
“There’s no one we understand that will make me personally more proud if she could possibly be a citizen that is american” said A.J. Andreasen’s mother, Jana.
Because of the period of the couple’s reconciliation, nonetheless, Department of Homeland safety detectives had started to monitor the couple and report their split arrangements that are living. A.J. Andreasen stated he suspects a previous boss called federal agents to obtain right right straight back he had made regarding overtime pay at him for a complaint.
Sooner or later, prosecutors got an indictment against both Andreasens. Authorities accused them of organizing a wedding in title only after which lying to Citizenship and Immigration Services officials in Atlanta making sure that Katerina mail order wife Andreasen could get her card that is green.
“There was no cash. There is no conspiracy. … It’s not your case that is typical, said A.J. Andreasen, whom included which he responded every concern truthfully in Atlanta. “We just don’t feel we did such a thing incorrect. ”
Also from living as man and wife while charges were pending as they tried to convince investigators that they had a real marriage, a no-contact order prohibited them. In fact, Jana Andreasen said, the few could not look at the medical center during the time that is same her spouse suffered a coronary arrest.
Ahead of the wedding, A.J. Andreasen stated, he feared Katerina may need to go back to her indigenous nation.
“i did son’t desire her to return to Czech (Republic), ” he said. Her. “ I adored”
Nevertheless, he hinted that their relationship with Katerina Andreasen is not exactly exactly like other marriages.
“We don’t have actually the typical Christian relationship, ” he stated.
The plea contract that Katerina Andreasen finalized informs a story that is different. It states that she admitted to detectives that the wedding wasn’t genuine and that she never ever lived with him.
Jana Andreasen stated she’s got without doubt that her son’s wedding is genuine. She recalled the surprise of learning that her son and daughter-in-law was in fact faced with a crime that is federal.
“I became at the job, and I also left, and I also never ever went right right straight back, ” she said.
Katerina Andreasen stated she struggled to obtain a 12 months. 5 as a nanny in england before arriving at the usa for a tourist visa in 2002 to consult with friends. She stated she wound up in Gulf Shores and liked it. She got and stayed a housekeeping work.
The visa expired after 6 months, and Andreasen merely went about her company. She worked difficult never to be noticed – just as much as it’s possible for the 6-foot, 2-inch appealing blond woman maybe not to.
Government officials never ever arrived knocking on her behalf home.
It might have already been uncommon when they had. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 40 % to 50 per cent associated with the nation’s illegal immigrants arrived legitimately. Possibly up to 5.5 million people in america overstayed their visas. Few have caught.
Andreasen stated she thinks that, ironically, the wedding really hurt her efforts to keep.
“If we never ever got hitched, we nevertheless could be residing right here peacefully, ” she stated. “Nobody considers those activities when you’re in love. ”
Andreasen stated southwest Alabama’s little community that is czech tight – especially since Hurricane Ivan in 2004. This is certainly just exactly exactly how she met David Cejka, A czech native who she dated off and on.
Andreasen said she remains near to Cejka. They compete in triathlons together. So when she moved away from her husband’s home throughout that spell, she relocated into Cejka’s house.
“David is my closest friend, ” she said. “He’s my training partner. ”
Police authorities alleged the partnership had been a lot more than that, and Cejka on Thursday pleaded accountable in federal court to conspiracy to commit marriage fraudulence. Their plea document states that Katerina Andreasen offered a co-worker $4,000 that he could get his green card if she would marry Cejka so.
Katerina Andreasen shared with her buddy that Cejka had been the love of her life and because she was trying to get pregnant, according to the plea document that she had stopped taking birth control pills.
The plea papers for Katerina Andreasen and Cejka state because they could not bear to watch each other kiss someone else that they did not attend each other’s weddings. Inquired about that, Andreasen shrugged. “Would you invite your ex-girlfriend to your wedding? ”
However the case that is criminal over for the Andreasens. Now their attention has considered deportation that is fighting. A.J. Andreasen stated he shall the stand by position their spouse.
Katerina Andreasen stated she their hopping for the very best but anticipating the worst.
“It’s likely to break my heart because We have a great household right right right here, ” she stated. “I’m still hoping something’s planning to alter. ”