A Saskatoon man charged with producing and distributing forged immigration documents has pleaded guilty to four charges.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it launched an investigation in January 2018 on a tip from Winnipeg Police Service.
It was alleged a man was fraudulently selling immigration documents to international students in Canada.
CBSA said they launched an investigation into Panashe Chaya.
His home was searched in April 2018 and Chaya was charged in July 2018 with three counts under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and three counts under the Criminal Code.
Chaya pleaded guilty on June 4 to one IRPA charge: knowingly dealing in a document, of Canadian or foreign origin, that purports to establish or could be used to establish a person’s identity.
He also pleaded guilty to defrauding over $5,000 from the University of Saskatchewan and/or other individuals, making false documents available for sale and failing to comply with an appearance notice.
He was sentenced to two years and seven days in prison.
All other charges against Chaya were stayed as part of the plea agreement.
“The CBSA takes immigration fraud very seriously and works closely with its partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute those engaging in immigration fraud to the full extent of the law,” the agency said in a statement to Global News.
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