http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/08/ap-ex-soldier-testifies-marriage-sham-trial-082212/
By Roxana Hegeman - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 22, 2012 7:46:21 EDT
WICHITA, Kan. ? A former Fort Riley soldier told jurors Tuesday he was in a financial bind when he married a Jamaican woman so he could get more money from the military and she could get legal immigration status.
The testimony came in the criminal trial of 28-year-old Shannakay Hunter in U.S. District Court in Wichita. Hunter, who lives in Bronx, N.Y., is charged with conspiracy, marriage fraud and making a false statement to the government.
Prosecutors say the marriage was never consummated. The defense says she married for love.
Joshua Priest, 23, was an Army private stationed at Fort Riley when he and Hunter married in 2010. He has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud in a deal with prosecutors for leniency in exchange for the testimony against his wife.
Priest, who is now a college student living in Petersburg, Va., told jurors that if he lied on the stand now he could be brought up on more charges and acknowledged that his plea agreement would also be rescinded.
He testified he had never seen Hunter, except on Facebook, until she came to Kansas to get married.
?The agreement was I could live my normal life. I would get money from the military, and she would get her green card. It would be pretty much an even slate,? he testified.
As a married soldier, Priest was allowed to live off base and received an additional $1,500 monthly in housing and food allowances.
Priest testified he never had sex with Hunter but said she had wanted to have sex with him.
?My main thing about not sleeping with her was I didn?t want things to get personal,? he said. ?When we first started talking it was supposed to be business.?
The marriage came to the government?s attention in February 2011 when Hunter told Priest?s superiors that he failed to provide support to her since their marriage, as required by Army regulations, and that he needed to be ordered to attend an impending immigration hearing. After his superiors confronted him, Priest testified, he told them the marriage was arranged so Hunter could get legal immigration status.
His superiors reported the suspected marriage fraud to an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement fraud hotline and the Army?s Central Investigations Divisions, court documents show.
Defense attorney Molly McMurray attacked Priest?s credibility, forcing him to admit to lies and false statements, some made under oath, to federal investigators, his military superiors and immigration officials.
She highlighted inconsistencies between his testimony and bank charges showing Hunter had been in Kansas more often than he claimed. And she brought out false documents Priest had notarized in an attempt to get Hunter legal immigration status and later to try to get the marriage annulled.
Playing to the jury, McMurray said: ?Let me know which version of the story is true, OK??
Priest acknowledged he had pleaded guilty in a domestic battery incident but insisted he did so in order to get a diversion agreement that would wipe the charge from his record if he stayed out of trouble. He said he didn?t want to risk going to court and risk ruining his chances for a law enforcement or military career.
He testified he never hit Hunter and accused her of making the false allegation after an argument over some immigration papers.
?She was trying to throw me under the bus,? he testified.
?If you throw Shannakay under the bus,? McMurray asked, ?is it going to help you??
?Yes, ma?am,? he replied.
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Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/08/ap-ex-soldier-testifies-marriage-sham-trial-082212/
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