LOS ANGELES— A porn director was arrested Wednesday in what immigration officials said was a sham marriage scheme to get a green card for a Hungarian prostitute who plied her trade at a Sherman Oaks brothel.
[Adam & Eve director] David Allen Crawford, 37, was arrested at his Reseda home on suspicion of making false statements on immigration application papers for the woman.
He is known in the adult-entertainment industry as David Lord, director of films including “Bree’s Slumber Party,” “Huge” and “Double Parked 16.”
Agnes Jeges, 35, who authorities say is Crawford’s fake spouse, also was arrested Wednesday at her Van Nuys apartment.
A federal criminal complaint filed in the case alleges that Crawford, who is a U.S. citizen, entered into a fake marriage with Jeges to enable her to remain in the United States.
Both Crawford and Jeges are accused of falsely claiming in application papers for her citizenship that they lived together.
Jeges is also charged with falsely denying that she had ever engaged in prostitution.
Authorities claim Jeges actually worked as a prostitute for Angela Csutai, 33, of Van Nuys, who is accused of running a brothel in an apartment complex in the 4500 block of Woodman Avenue.
Csutai has been arrested on suspicion of operating a brothel employing Hungarian women out of the Sherman Oaks apartment complex from 2004 to 2006, authorities said.
Like Jeges, Csutai is suspected of entering into a sham marriage with a U.S. citizen to gain legal permanent residency.
Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials said Csutai falsely claimed in her green-card application that she was a housewife but in fact was operating a brothel.
ICE officials said Csutai lied under oath during an interview with an official about her occupation and about living with a U.S.-citizen spouse.
“No one should ever look upon immigration-benefit fraud as a victimless crime,” said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge for the ICE Office of Investigations in Los Angeles.
“When people lie to obtain an immigration benefit, they not only cheat those who comply with the law and respect the system, but, as we believe occurred in this case, their lies and falsehoods are often designed to mask other types of criminal activity.”
The perjury charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, while the charge of making false statements is punishable by up to 10 years.
Jennifer Silliman, deputy special agent in charge of ICE’s Los Angeles office, said it was unclear whether Crawford had any brothel ties, according to The Associated Press.