Lorna Maramba, a Philippine national, was arrested and charged after attempting to leave the CNMI for Hawaii using two falsified U.S. permanent resident cards.
According to Homeland Security Investigations, which filed a complaint in the District Court for the NMI, Maramba was stopped during an outbound inspection at the Saipan International Airport on Jan. 21. Customs and Border Protection officers say she presented two laminated green cards — one black‑and‑white and one in color — each with different birth dates, mismatched USCIS numbers and blurred photos.
Record checks showed Maramba had no legal immigration status and had overstayed her last CW‑1 visa, which expired in 2020.
Investigators say Maramba later admitted the cards were fake and told agents she paid $2,000 to a man she met on Facebook who claimed to be an immigration officer. She said she hoped to travel to Hawaii to find work.
Maramba was charged with possessing a false identification document with intent to defraud the United States. She appeared in federal court last week and was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond with conditions.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 11.
