3 sentenced in naturalization fraud

Two suburban doctors and a businessman convicted in July of naturalization fraud on behalf of immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship were sentenced yesterday to federal prison.

Habeeb Malik, 60, owner of the Foundation for Human Services, in Broomall, charged immigrants $2,000 each before referring them to Ira Weiner and Thong-chai Vorasingha for exams.

The doctors paid Malik, who also is a doctor but no longer practices, $120 for each exam and knew the immigrants did not suffer from ailments on the medical- certification waiver for citizenship they filled out.

The phony waivers claimed that the immigrants had various permanent maladies that prevented them from learning English or American civics.

The scheme's mastermind, Malik, of Broomall, got 50 months in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Weiner, 59, of Narberth, received 36 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Vorasingha, 73, of Wallingford, Delaware County, got 24 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

- Kitty Caparella