Another Consular Officer Guilty of Visa Fraud

Last week we reported on the closing of the US consulate in Nuevo Laredo , Mexico after it was discovered that several employees were selling visas. Another scandal has b een revealed in the consular system, this time affecting America 's consulate in Prague .

Alex ander Meerovich, a career Foreign Service officer, has pled guilty to visa fraud. Meerovich served as a consular officer in Prague from August 1999 to July 2002. Meerovich acknowledges that he sold at lea st 85 fraudulent visas over a two year period while serving as deputy consul gene ral at the US Em b assy. According to prosecutors, Meerovich may have made $50,000 in the scheme.

The State Department issued a pu b lic statement apologizing for the affair:

" We deeply regret the crim ina l actions of Mr. Meerovich. We entrusted him with maintaining the integrity of the visa process, a critical component in the protection of U.S. b orders, during his assignment to Prague . We will continue to work closely with the Department of Justice to ensure that Mr. Meerovich is appropriately pu nish ed for his crimes."

Meerovich is likely to face a b out two years in prison.