(CHICAGO) A psychiatrist and counselor in a Chicago medical practice were charged Thursday for falsely diagnosing individuals as disabled to help them avoid certain tests for U.S. citizenship.
Marek Walczyk, 59, and 38-year-old Katarzyna Fergemann were each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of attempted unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Walczyk, of Norridge, is a licensed psychiatrist who operates a medical practice on the Northwest Side, and Fergemann, of Chicago, is employed there as a licensed counselor, according to the statement.
Fergemann wrote reports stating that she administered diagnostic tests on an individual seeking to apply for U.S. citizenship, and that the tests revealed that the individual suffered from a social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and major depressive disorder, as well as a learning impairment resulting from those conditions, according to the statement.
Walczyk certified Fergemann’s results as “true and correct” in a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services form titled “Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions,” according to the statement.
Fergemann issued her reports knowing that the individual did not suffer from a physical or mental impairment. The false certification allowed the individuals to request an exception to the required civics and English-language tests, according to the statement.
Both were arrested Thursday morning, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were released on $15,000 unsecured appearance bonds, according to the statement.
The conspiracy count is punishable up to five years in prison, and the attempted unlawful procurement counts each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, according to the statement.
Their next court date is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2016.
