Former Virginia Beach Police Officer Sentenced to 24 Months for Marriage Fraud Conspiracy

May 5, 2010 - NORFOLK, VA—Former Virginia Beach Police officer Andrey Savelyev, 41, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiring to commit marriage fraud and lying to the FBI.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; A.J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; A.M. Jacocks, Chief of Police for the Virginia Beach Police Department; Thomas Betro, Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); J. Michael Netherland, Resident Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Norfolk; and Frank Klepadlow, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation’s Norfolk Field Office; all joined in the announcement after Savelyev was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

“Today, Andrey Savelyev was held accountable for abusing his authority as a police officer,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “We appreciate the support and cooperation of the Virginia Beach Police Department, which worked closely with us as we investigated this case.”

According to court records, Savelyev admitted he became aware that a female Russian national had entered into a fraudulent marriage with a Navy enlisted man in exchange for $6,000 and that the enlisted man later wished to obtain a divorce from the Russian female. Savelyev was contacted by the Russian woman’s friends and, as a result, Savelyev, while on duty, drove to the enlisted man’s home, showed his badge, and threatened that if the enlisted man did not uphold his part of the conspiracy, then Savelyev would arrest him for assaulting a friend of the Russian female. The Navy enlisted man remained in the fraudulent marriage and was later convicted of federal immigration charges.

Savelyev further admitted he exceeded his authorized access of the Virginia Beach Police Department’s computer database in an effort to obtain confidential information about the Navy enlisted man. In addition, Savelyev admitted he lied when questioned by an FBI agent in May and June 2009 about his knowledge of marriage fraud between aliens and Navy personnel in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, when he denied any knowledge of the Russian woman and the Navy enlisted man whom he confronted and threatened to arrest.

This case was investigated by the Norfolk Field Office of the FBI and the Virginia Beach Police Department, which cooperated fully with federal investigators since the alleged activities came to light in August 2007. The NCIS, ICE and IRS also assisted in investigating this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Haynie and Joseph DePadilla.