Man Asked to Leave Idaho on Marriage Fraud

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A Romanian national who had been living in Idaho has been told to leave the United States within two months for entering into a fraudulent marriage to obtain immigration benefits.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says 30-year-old Lucian Ioan Belean was sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation, ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and to leave the country within 60 days. He earlier pleaded guilty to immigration fraud. Prosecutors say Belean entered into a fraudulent marriage with a U.S. citizen in November 2007 in order to obtain immigration benefits.

The next month, he applied for lawful permanent residence status. The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services approved the application in March 2008. Prosecutors say Belean has already spent two months in jail.