A North Carolina man has been indicted on federal charges of naturalization fraud after concealing years of child sexual abuse when applying for U.S. citizenship.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 71-year-old Cyril Domaquik Clemens, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Liberia, faces up to 30 years in prison and the potential revocation of his citizenship.
The Allegations:
Federal prosecutors allege that Clemens lied under oath on his naturalization application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Specifically, he denied ever committing crimes such as forcing someone into sexual activity or committing an offense for which he had not been arrested. Despite those sworn statements, Clemens took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on February 19, 2021.
Criminal Conviction in State Court:
On April 3, 2023, Clemens pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of North Carolina, Durham County, to three counts of indecent liberties with a child. He admitted to molesting the victim for over a decade, beginning when the child was just four years old. He was sentenced to 16–29 months in prison and required to register as a sex offender.
Importantly, Clemens was not arrested until after he became a U.S. citizen. This meant immigration officials were unaware of his crimes during the naturalization process.
Operation False Haven:
The case is being investigated under Operation False Haven, an initiative led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). The program focuses on identifying and prosecuting child molesters and other serious offenders who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Division is providing key support.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
What’s Next:
If convicted, Clemens could lose both his freedom and his citizenship. Naturalization fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, in addition to automatic denaturalization.
It is important to note that, at this stage, the charges remain allegations, and Clemens is presumed innocent until proven guilty.