BOSTON – A United Kingdom national was sentenced this week for making false statements in an immigration application following an investigation supported by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), federal prosecutors announced.
Duncan Hollands, also known as Duncan Herd, received a sentence of time served (one day) and two years of supervised release. He now faces removal proceedings due to the conviction, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Court documents reveal that Hollands falsely claimed on his application for lawful permanent residence—and during a subsequent interview—that he had never used another name and had no criminal history. However, investigators found that Hollands had previously gone by the name Duncan Herd and had been convicted under that alias in the U.K., where he served over three years in prison for obtaining property by deception and related charges.
Authorities also uncovered additional interactions with criminal justice systems in the U.K. and France. Hollands pleaded guilty to the immigration fraud charge on January 15, 2025.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit. Investigative support was provided by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), local police departments in Cambridge and Woburn, Massachusetts, and British authorities.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley commended the collaborative effort, stating, “This sentencing underscores the consequences of falsifying immigration documents and the importance of interagency cooperation in upholding the integrity of the system.”
USCIS encourages the public to report suspected immigration fraud through its online tip form.
Related topics:
- How Long Does It Take to Immigrate to the UK?
- What Are the Requirements to Immigrate to the UK?
- How Can I Know My Immigration Status?
