Aunt and Her U.S. Air Force Nephew Charged in Immigration Fraud Case
Published Sep 2, 2026
USCIS says an investigation led to charges against a Colorado woman and her nephew, a U.S. Air Force member, for conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Prosecutors allege the aunt falsely claimed to be the nephew's mother on a Form I-130 petition to help him obtain a green card, and he later lied about it on his naturalization application.
Key points
- Myra Paule Schulenburg and her nephew John Paule Rivera were charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud.
- Rivera also faces charges of making false statements under oath, making false statements to a federal agency, unlawfully procuring citizenship, and misuse of citizenship evidence.
- Prosecutors say Schulenburg filed a Form I-130 falsely claiming to be Rivera's mother, using an altered Philippine birth certificate, which led to his lawful permanent residency.
- Rivera became a U.S. citizen in October 2022 after denying any prior false statements on his naturalization application.
- USCIS flagged a later petition Rivera filed for his real mother, using his authentic birth certificate, which triggered the investigation.
- The charges are accusations only. Schulenburg faces up to five years in prison and Rivera faces up to 10 years and possible denaturalization.
Who is affected
This case involves two individuals charged with immigration fraud and applies generally to anyone involved in family-based petitions or naturalization applications submitted to USCIS.
What to do
Anyone with information about suspected immigration benefit fraud can report it to USCIS through the USCIS Tip Form.
Full text
The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-12. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.
Release Date
09/02/2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was instrumental in an investigation resulting in the arrest of an aunt and her nephew for their involvement in an immigration fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri announced the charges.
Myra Paule Schulenburg, 46, and her nephew John Paule Rivera, 30, both of Colorado, were charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Rivera also was charged with making false statements under oath on immigration documents, making false statements to a federal agency, unlawfully procuring citizenship, and misuse of citizenship evidence.
Schulenburg was born in the Philippines and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Rivera entered the United States on a J1 exchange visitor visa in March 2017. A few months later, Schulenburg submitted a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to USCIS claiming to be Rivera’s mother so he could become a lawful permanent resident. She attached an altered birth certificate from the Philippines to the petition as proof of their relationship and submitted it for processing to USCIS’ National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Schulenburg’s petition was approved and Rivera became a lawful permanent resident.
After becoming a lawful permanent resident, Rivera joined the U.S. Air Force and applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen while stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. In his application for naturalization, Rivera specifically denied ever giving any U.S. government official information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading, or lying to gain immigration benefits. He signed that application for naturalization under penalty of perjury and submitted it to USCIS’ National Benefits Center for processing. As a result of that false testimony, Rivera’s application for naturalization was approved and he became a U.S. citizen on Oct. 11, 2022.
After becoming a U.S. citizen, Rivera submitted a Petition for Alien Relative to USCIS for his actual mother so she could become a lawful permanent resident. He attached his authentic birth certificate from the Philippines to that petition as proof of their relationship. USCIS flagged his petition, resulting in the investigation that led to the arrests.
The charges contained in the indictment are accusations and are not evidence of guilt.
Schulenburg faces a sentence of up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. Rivera faces up to 10 years in prison on some of the immigration charges and also could be denaturalized.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, USCIS’ National Benefits Center, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.
09/02/2026
Original title: Aunt and U.S. Airman Nephew Arrested in Immigration Fraud Scheme
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