SVETLANA M. Maala has been accused by the federal government of forging a U.S. work visa for employment.
Maala appeared before District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy on Wednesday for an initial hearing.
Maala, through her court-appointed attorney, Colin Thompson, waived her right to an indictment and waived the advisement of her constitutional rights as well as the reading of the charges against her.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley appeared for the federal government.
According to the information filed in court, Maala is charged with one count of fraud and misuse of visa.
The federal government stated that on or about June 7, 2018, Maala “knowingly forged, counterfeited, altered and falsely made a nonimmigrant visa prescribed by statute or regulation as evidence of authorized stay and employment in the United States, and uttered, used, and attempted to use such visa as evidence of authorized stay and employment in the U.S., knowing it to be forged, counterfeited, altered and falsely made in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546.”
Maala pled not guilty to the charge and was released by the court on her own personal recognizance.
Judge Kennedy scheduled the defendant’s trial for June 8, 2021 at 10 a.m.
As required by Rule 5(f) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Judge Kennedy ordered the federal government to produce all exculpatory evidence to the defendant pursuant to Brady v. Maryland and its progeny.
“Not doing so in a timely manner may result in sanctions, including exclusion of evidence, adverse jury instructions, dismissal of charges and contempt proceedings,” the judge said.
