Democrat-Appointed Philadelphia Official Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining American Citizenship

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, official appointed by Democrat Mayor Jim Kenney was charged with fraudulently obtaining American citizenship via marriage fraud and stealing $15,000 through bank embezzlement, federal prosecutors allege.

Liberian-born Christian Dunbar, 40-years-old, was appointed as Philadelphia City Treasurer last year by Kenney after spending years as a top financial adviser at Wells Fargo. In charging documents, United States Attorney William McSwain accused Dunbar of fraudulently obtaining American citizenship and committing bank embezzlement while at Wells Fargo.

According to prosecutors, Dunbar and his Senegal-born wife each entered into sham marriages with American citizens to obtain green cards, and eventually American citizenship, for themselves and their family.

In December 2006, Dunbar and his wife each married American citizens in separate ceremonies. The two individuals who married Dunbar and his wife were classmates of theirs at Temple University and the officiant of the marriages was a Temple University professor.

Dunbar, prosecutors allege, applied for a green card in February 2012. Months later, in October, he was granted a green card by the United States Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) before applying to become an American citizen in 2015.

Prosecutors allege that Dunbar and his wife married each other in her native country of Senegal in June 2013 while Dunbar was still legally married to an American citizen in the U.S. Dunbar and his wife are listed as the married parents of their child, born in 2014.

Then, in January 2016, Dunbar was able to secure American citizenship. Two months later, Dunbar filed for divorce with the American citizen he originally married in 2006.

Before becoming Philadelphia City Treasurer, a job he has since been fired from, Dunbar allegedly stole $15,000 from two of his Wells Fargo clients by embezzling the money into his own personal bank account in December 2015 and January 2016.

Dunbar, prosecutors allege, got both clients to sign documents, including blank withdrawal slips, that he later used to withdraw cash from their bank accounts in order to redirect the money into his account.

Dunbar faces up to 45 years in federal prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.