United States of America v. Benjamin Filiberto Paz

Baltimore, Maryland immigration lawyer represented the Defendant.<br>
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The United States seeks to denaturalize Benjamin Filiberto Paz, a naturalized U.S. citizen, because it believes Paz illegally obtained citizenship. The government claims that Paz misrepresented on his naturalization application that he had never committed any offense for which he had not been arrested when, in fact, at the time of his application, he had committed the offenses of burglary and sexual assault ten years earlier. Paz was not arrested for those crimes until two years after he became a citizen. Now, the government seeks to revoke Paz's citizenship because it claims Paz committed perjury and related offenses when he submitted his naturalization application and concealed and misrepresented material facts in the naturalization process. <br>
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IMMIGRATION LAW. DENATURALIZATION. The case concerns a motion for judgment on the pleadings in a denaturalization proceeding where the United States government sought to revoke the naturalization of the defendant, alleging that he illegally procured citizenship through concealment of past criminal conduct and false statements on his naturalization application.<br>
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CIVIL PROCEDURE. JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS. The court addressed the appropriateness of granting a Rule 12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings, emphasizing that such motions require clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence without factual disputes, particularly regarding the defendant's intent or state of mind when false statements were allegedly made.<br>
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CRIMINAL LAW. FALSE STATEMENTS. The court evaluated whether the defendant, accused of making false statements under penalty of perjury in his naturalization application, acted willfully or knowingly, denying the government's motion due to insufficient evidence in the pleadings on the defendant's state of mind.<br>
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Key Phrases Denaturalization proceedings. Judgment on the pleadings. Good moral character. Willful misrepresentation. Perjury allegations.

Motion denied.