Woonsocket Man Convicted of Lying to Immigration Officials

A Warwick Police fingerprint expert matched the prints of Serigne Diokhane, 39, of Woonsocket, a Sengal native, to a man seeking asylum in New Jersey in 1998, fouling his application for permanent residency.

Diokhane, a native of Dakar, Senegal, was convicted Wednesday by a federal court jury in Providence of making false representations to immigration officials when applying for permanent residency in the US, according to a release from US District Attorney Peter F. Neronha's office.

In February 2012, Diokhane applied for permanent residency at the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) field office in Johnston, R.I. On his applicaton, Diokhane made a sworn statement that he had never used any other name in any situation or on any application. 

But a routine background check of USCIS computer files revealed fingerprints taken from Diokhane matched a person identified as Mohamed Sy, 39, of Mauretania, who had submitted an application for asylum at the Newark, New Jersey Immigration Center in September 1998.  

A Warwick Police Department fingerprint expert examined both sets of fingerprints and confirmed they were Diokhane's. 

Diokhane was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested on June 12, 2013, on one count of making false representations to government officials.

Diokhane faces up to five years in federal prison, followed by up to 3 years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi on April 3, 2014.

Diokhane’s conviction was announced by Neronha, Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.