Hawaii
Hawaii man accused of lying for money to help Afghans enter the U.S.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Marty Anthony Muller was arrested just after 3:00 a.m. Monday at Honolulu’s Daniel K Inouye International Airport.
He had just arrived on a flight from the Marshall Islands, where he works as a contractor.
Agents with the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service escorted him to a waiting vehicle before taking him to the Federal Detention Center.
Muller is a United States citizen who worked as a contractor in Afghanistan until 2017 when he moved to Hawaii.
He was the only one picked up in the state, but two men, both originally from Afghanistan, are listed as co-defendants.
Mushtaq Ahmad Habibi is a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Virginia.
Daud Kalantari is a green card holder living in California.
They were also arrested Monday in their respective states.
The three are accused of falsifying documents, wire fraud, visa fraud & conspiracy for allegedly taking money to help hundreds of Afghans improperly obtain visas through the Afghan Special Immigration Visa program, often called SIV.
Tom Simon, a retired FBI agent, said SIV was designed to protect those who risked their lives in support of the U.S. overseas. But Simon said, “Fraud in this program poses a significant national security threat that we can’t afford to ignore.”
Retired Federal Public Defender Alexander Silvert agreed. “You want to let in people who actually faithfully provided a good service.” He said loyalties must be checked.
According to the criminal complaint, Muller wrote 368 letters of recommendation for Afghans applying for an SIV between 2018 and August of this year.
The letters are required from an employer to vouch that the person was an important part of the work.
But, the court records said Muller was not actually associated with most of those people.
He lied on at least 208 of the letters, the government alleges he got $500 for each one he wrote.
Simon said that doesn’t mean 208 people improperly entered the U.S., not all were able to obtain visas because the SIV program does have other requirements with multiple steps before it’s finalized.
The SIV program has been scrutinized recently.
Earlier this month, an Afghan national who had been approved for the special visa was arrested in Oklahoma. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi is charged for allegedly plotting an election day attack on behalf of ISIS.
Muller and the co-defendants are not connected to the Oklahoma case; the only common detail is that the SIV process was used.
Muller’s preliminary hearing is set for November 12.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
-
Ohio1 minute agoOhio auditor describes how widespread Medicaid fraud affects taxpayers | Fox News Video
-
Oklahoma4 minutes agoOne injured in auto-pedestrian crash in northwest Oklahoma City
-
Oregon9 minutes agoWoman dies after falling into Devil’s Punchbowl on Oregon coast
-
Pennsylvania16 minutes agoHalf of child deaths left unreviewed in Pennsylvania since 2020 as counties struggle with ‘unfunded mandate’
-
Rhode Island19 minutes agoHe grew up in the kitchen. Then he rewrote the menu, and the future of his parents’ restaurant – The Boston Globe
-
South-Carolina24 minutes agoHere’s when, where you can vote in South Carolina 2026 primary election
-
South Dakota31 minutes agoSchedule, prediction for 2026 South Dakota softball state tournament
-
Tennessee34 minutes agoTennessee AMC theater worker, 85, receives $146K from strangers for retirement after viral video
