National Guard Major Pleads Guilty in $54,000 Travel Card Scheme
A major in the District of Columbia National Guard has pleaded guilty in a federal case involving government theft, immigration fraud and a concealed second marriage.
Federal prosecutors say Collin Welch began a relationship with a Mongolian woman while he was still legally married. He later created a false divorce decree, married the woman and brought her and her daughter to the United States.
After their tourist visas expired, Welch allegedly produced fake permanent-residency approvals, Social Security cards and military-benefit documents to make the woman believe that a legitimate immigration process was underway.
Prosecutors also said Welch used a government-issued travel card to pay for personal expenses and submitted fraudulent hotel and rental-car receipts. The unauthorized charges cost the federal government approximately $54,000.
Welch pleaded guilty to theft of government money and unlawfully inducing foreign nationals to enter and remain in the United States. He agreed to forfeit $54,000 and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2026.
The case goes beyond the headline about a “secret second wife.” It involves the misuse of taxpayer funds, fabricated official documents and a serious breach of public trust.
