I tell people every year to NOT lie during the DV process and lies will come back to haunt you.

The article below is an example of what can happen if you ignore that valuable advice. The rules say you must include all your children (Those that are unmarried and under 21, biological, step children and adopted). If you fail to do that, you should simply FORGET your DV win. There is no way to fix this error and one day it will come back and get you.

That is exactly what happened in this case. A man entered the DV lottery without including a child. The reason or the circumstances do not matter – there is no possible forgiveness in such a situation. He should never have continued with the application.

However, this person thought he could get away with it – and then later revealed the truth by acknowledging the existence of the child in a later family based application. The fraud was uncovered and the person has been convicted. He will probably serve some jail time and then later be deported. What a mess.

Here is a description of the case:

“Lopez Munongo Makengo, age 36, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was convicted by a jury today, after a 3-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.  Makengo was found guilty of unlawful possession of identification documents and unlawful use of identification documents.  The verdict was returned this morning following about 7 hours of jury deliberations.

Evidence in the case revealed that in 2014, Makengo, entered the Diversity Visa lottery, and later was granted a Diversity Visa.  Makengo then immigrated to the United States in 2016.  In 2017, he petitioned for relatives to join him in the United States—including a child born in 2013.  In 2022, when the Sioux City Police Department was investigating child abuse and neglect allegations by Makengo, it was discovered by Department of State officials that Makengo had made a false statement on his application to obtain his Diversity Visa.  Makengo failed to disclose that he had a child from 2014-2016, despite swearing under oath at the U.S. Embassy in DRC that the contents of his application were true and correct.  On his 2017 petition for relatives to join him, however, he admitted that he had a child born in 2013.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Makengo remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Makengo faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of up to 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.”

PLEASE don’t lie in your entry, the DS260 or at ANY time in the DV process.


https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/diversity-visa-lottery-winner-found-guilty-visa-fraud