Philippine national Lorna R. Maramba pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a false identification document with the intent to defraud the United States during a Feb. 13 hearing.
District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona found Maramba fully competent to enter a knowing and voluntary plea and set sentencing for March 4.
According to the recently unsealed amended plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to recommend a sentence of time served.
The agreement also states that because Maramba has no valid immigration status, she acknowledges that her guilty plea may carry immigration consequences since she is not a U.S. citizen.
Maramba was stopped during an outbound inspection at the Saipan International Airport on Jan. 21. Customs and Border Protection officers said 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 said 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 appeared at the hearing in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.
