A United States federal judge Thursday sentenced a Frederick (in Maryland state) man to a year in prison for marrying nine women so they could become lawful permanent residents.

James Adjei Kyem, 52, filed immigration applications after marrying the women. He was charged with marriage fraud, perjury and passport fraud and must also serve probation and community service.

In November, Kyem pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

The fraud began in 1984, when he married a woman so he could become a citizen. Then he claimed he lived at 21 different addresses in five different states.
One of Kyem's marriages was performed at the Frederick County Courthouse, according to court records. On July 7, 2006, Kyem married Delali O. Affum. Both are natives of Ghana.
Kyem's second marriage occurred in New York City in January 1996, before he divorced his first wife.
Eight more marriages followed from December 1998 until April 2007 in five states and Ghana.
Authorities say he started marrying women in those states by falsifying his own marriage documents and helping them file for permanent legal status.