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San Bernardino shooter's brother pleads guilty to immigration fraud
File: Vehicles are parked outside the home of Syed Raheel Farook, the elder brother of San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook, after the FBI served a warrant to the location, in Corona, Calif., Thursday, April 28, 2016.
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The brother of the man involved in the terror attack that left 14 dead in San Bernardino pleaded guilty Tuesday to immigration fraud, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Syed Raheel Farook, brother of shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, was charged along with his wife Tatiana Farook and sister-in-law Mariyah Chernykh, according to the statement. They allegedly conspired with Enrique Marquez Jr. to obtain immigration benefits for Chernykh, a Russian citizen, through a fraudulent marriage between Chernykh and Marquez.
"Today’s guilty plea is the result of the thorough investigation into the brutal attack in San Bernardino that took the lives of 14 innocent Americans and tragically affected many more shooting victims and family members," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in the statement.
Syed Raheel Farook faces up to five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. His sentencing is set for Nov. 13.
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Marquez also faces charges related to both the marriage fraud and plotting with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to carry out attacks in the Inland Empire. He also allegedly supplied firearms to Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfin Malik, which were later used in the 2015 San Bernardino attack and during a shootout with law enforcement.
Marquez is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 26. Tatiana Farook and Chernykh are scheduled to go to trial on March 28.
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