NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 8, 2026— The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil action seeking to strip an Indian-born New Jersey businessman of his U.S. citizenship, alleging that he fraudulently obtained naturalization after submitting false information during his immigration proceedings.
According to a Justice Department announcement released June 8, Neeraj Sharma, 50, a native of India and former owner and chief executive officer of Magnavision LLC, a staffing company based in New Jersey, is among 17 naturalized citizens targeted in a nationwide denaturalization initiative.
Federal authorities allege that Sharma signed and filed 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The petitions allegedly contained false claims that foreign workers would be employed by a major global financial institution and included letters on corporate letterhead bearing forged executive signatures.
The Justice Department alleges that when Sharma applied for U.S. citizenship in 2017, he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, never provided false or misleading information to U.S. government officials, and never lied to obtain immigration benefits. USCIS approved his application, and Sharma became a U.S. citizen in December 2017.
Subsequently, Sharma was convicted of fraud and misuse of visas under federal law. Court records cited by the Justice Department indicate that the offenses occurred between April 2015 and April 2017, prior to his naturalization.
The government now seeks to revoke Sharma’s citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act, arguing that his naturalization was illegally procured because he concealed unlawful conduct, provided false testimony, and willfully misrepresented material facts during the naturalization process.
The action is part of a broader Justice Department effort targeting individuals accused of obtaining U.S. citizenship through fraud or concealment of criminal activity. The department announced denaturalization lawsuits against 17 individuals accused of offenses ranging from immigration fraud and financial crimes to child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration would maintain a “zero-tolerance policy” toward abuse of the naturalization process, while Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described American citizenship as a privilege that must be earned honestly.
The Justice Department emphasized that the allegations contained in the complaints are civil claims and that no determination of liability has yet been made by the courts.
