CBS2 Exclusive Video: Alleged Serial Bride Of 10 Husbands Arrested Just After Leaving Court
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – An alleged "serial bride" who was accused of marrying multiple men at the same time was arrested just after leaving court Friday, when she allegedly evaded the fare at a Bronx subway station.
The Bronx District Attorney had earlier charged 39-year-old Liana Barrientos with filing with a false instrument, claiming she was married 10 times since 1999 without divorcing some of her previous husbands.
Barrientos pleaded not guilty to both counts of fraud Friday, and the judge warned her to stay out of trouble, CBS2 reported.
But she allegedly got into trouble again a matter of minutes later.
After leaving court Friday, Barrientos was arrested again around 2:30 p.m. on allegations that she beat the fare for the subway along with her 19-year-old niece, Tracy Barrientos, police said.
Police alleged they walked through the emergency gate at the subway station at East 149th Street and Grand Concourse, sources told CBS2.
She was arraigned a second time Friday night on a new charge of theft of service, and was released without any bail being set, CBS2 reported. Her niece's case was dismissed.
As CBS2's Sonia Rincon reported, Barrientos covered her face as she walked out of court in the Bronx for the second time Friday – alongside her niece. They said nothing except for a few obscenities.
Liana Barrientos swung at CBS2's cameras as they walked, and both she and her niece spat at the camera, Rincon reported.
Law enforcement sources said the women did not even have MetroCards when they were arrested. They were not issued tickets, because they had allegedly done the same thing before, law enforcement sources said.
The prosecutor also pointed out another detail of her arrest. Barrientos allegedly told the officer who took her into custody in the subway station... "Didn't you see me on TV?"
The original charges against Barrientos alleged that she is currently believed to be married to four people, and at one time she was married to eight of them simultaneously.
Prosecutors say she filed the marriage licenses, spelling her name slightly different in some of them, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported.
Bronx DA: Serial Bride Had 10 Husbands, 8 At Same Time
In court Friday, the DA said Barrientos married people from "red flagged" countries like Pakistan, Georgia, Turkey, Mali and Egypt and admitted to accepting money for one of the marriages, CBS2's Lou Young reported.
"One of the men was actually put into removal proceeding by the Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation regarding making threatening statements towards the U.S., and was deported," said Bronx Assistant District Attorney Jessica Lupo.
It appears Barrientos conducted a marriage mill, making money to help the men with their immigration status, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.
The criminal complaint says she was arrested following a probe of her most recent marriage in 2010.
Barrientos and her husbands filed marriage licenses all over New York state – including Westchester County, Rockland County, and Long Island, authorities said.
Bronx DA: Serial Bride Had 10 Husbands, 8 At Same Time
The first license was filed in 1999, and the marriages allegedly happened in rapid succession — sometimes within the same month, prosecutors said.
Barrientos married Mohamed Gerbil in November 1999, Ahmed Allam in November 2001, Habibur Rahman also in November 2001, Davit Koridze in February 2002, Duran Goktepe in March 2002, Aliaksandr Paharelau also in March 2002, Vakhtang Dzneladze in May 2002, Rashid Rajput in July 2002, Kakhaber Khorbaladze in August 2002, and Salle Keita in March 2010, prosecutors alleged.
As CBS2's Lou Young reported, prosecutors claim to have found a trail of deception with a definite pattern.
"Seven of the men used the marriage to file for legal resident status with immigration and we found out yesterday, when some of them were denied they filed for divorce immediately and re-filed for immigration with other marriages," Assistant Bronx DA Jessica Lupo said.
Accused Serial Bride Charged With Fraud In Bronx Court Friday
According to the DA's office, groom No. 8, Rashid Rajput, was deported to Pakistan, his home country, after an investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The Department of Homeland Security got involved when her current husband began making threats against the U.S., WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.
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