Ukrainian woman pleads guilty in marriage fraud

A Ukrainian woman who came to the United States on a student visa, then married a U.S. citizen to stay in the country, pleaded guilty Monday to participating in a marriage fraud conspiracy.

Darya Chernova, 40, who once attended and played tennis for Lincoln University but now lives in Chandler, Ariz., entered the plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth.

U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson said in a news release Chernova could be sentenced to up to five years in federal prison without parole, and fined up to $250,000.

Her guilty plea and sentence also could affect her immigration status, Dickinson's release said, "because Chernova is pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, removal is presumptively mandatory."

Officials say Chernova and Tim Dunville, a Helias Catholic High School music teacher who later resigned, were married in 2005, but never lived together.

Instead, investigators reported Chernova lived a couple of blocks from Jefferson City lawyer James D. "Doug" Bardingwith whom she had a long-running affair that produced two children, who now live with Barding.

With her guilty plea, Chernova admitted she falsely named another person - Dunville - as the father of her child on a birth certificate in 2009 and again in a 2010 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service hearing with Barding's knowledge and advice. She also testified, based on Barding's advice, that her legal residence was with Dunville.

Chernova's false statements were relevant to her pending citizenship application, the news release said.

Dunville never has been charged with any part of the marriage fraud.

Federal investigators said the only purpose for Chernova's marriage to a U.S. citizen was so that she could evade immigration laws, and remain in the United States with Barding.

Barding pleaded guilty Aug. 5 to his role in the marriage fraud. He and Chernova were to go on federal trial this week before pleading guilty.

Two other people also were indicted with Barding and Chernova for a separate marriage fraud, and also were to be tried this week.

But Patricia Anne Ewalt, now 63, a former Jefferson City resident now living in El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty Aug. 5 to her role in a sham marriage when she married Ukrainian national Oleksandr Nikolayevich Druzenko in Jefferson City on June 22, 2007. Like Chernova and Dunville, Ewalt and Druzenko never lived together.

Druzenko is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday.