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Ukrainian Man Who Posed as Student Pleads Guilty to Passport and Social Security Fraud

August 23, 2016

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania:

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Ukrainian man who posed as a high school student in Harrisburg and was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 25, 2016, for passport fraud and Social Security fraud pled guilty today to both charges before U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo in Harrisburg.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Artur Samarin, age 23, using the identity of Asher Potts, applied for a United States passport, was fraudulently issued a Social Security card on July 17, 2014 and, later applied for and received a replacement card on November 18, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, the City of Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom.

No date was set for sentencing. Samarin also recently pleaded guilty to a separate charge in state court in Dauphin County.

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Ukrainian man who posed as a high school student in Harrisburg and was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 25, 2016, for passport fraud and Social Security fraud pled guilty today to both charges before U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo in Harrisburg.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Artur Samarin, age 23, using the identity of Asher Potts, applied for a United States passport, was fraudulently issued a Social Security card on July 17, 2014 and, later applied for and received a replacement card on November 18, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, the City of Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom.

No date was set for sentencing. Samarin also recently pleaded guilty to a separate charge in state court in Dauphin County.

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