Two former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were sentenced Thursday in Del Rio for their role in a marriage fraud scheme, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney's Western District of Texas office.
A federal judge sentenced Isabel Metzler, 46, to six months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and her husband, Luis Morales, 37, to five years probation.
The pair had worked as customs and border officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. Metzler was ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. Morales must pay a fine of $5,000, according to the press release.
Nancy Chan, a co-defendant, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on July 27 for one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
A U.K. citizen and former City of Austin employee, Chan entered into a fraudulent marriage in 2011 with an a person known by Metzler and Morales, according to the release. In pursuit of naturalization, Chan and her new spouse submitted false documentation to obtain Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident (LAPR) status.
During a January 2017 trial, Morales and Metzler plead guilty to charges levied against them.