Opinion ID: 4679465
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Merits of the Government’s Motion

Text: Okoro next argues that the district court impermissibly granted the Government’s motion because there were material fact issues and affirmative defenses that he could have raised. We disagree. Though the Government listed four justifications for denaturalizing Okoro, the district court only granted the motion pursuant to one of the Government’s justifications. The district court concluded that the pleadings demonstrate that Okoro committed unlawful acts reflecting on his moral character during the statutory period. To acquire citizenship, one must meet several statutory requirements under 8 U.S.C. § 1427. Section 1427(a)(3) provides that “[n]o person . . . shall be naturalized unless such applicant . . . during all the periods referred to in this subsection has been and still is a person of good moral character . . . .” Applicants must maintain good moral character for a statutory period spanning from five years before they file their application for naturalization to the day that they take the oath. Id. at § 1427(a). 4 Case: 20-20631 Document: 00515830051 Page: 5 Date Filed: 04/21/2021 No. 20-20631 Though Congress did not define “good moral character,” it listed convictions for various offenses that prevent individuals from establishing good moral character. See 8 U.S.C. § 1101(f)(1)–(9); 8 C.F.R. § 316.10(b)(1)– (3). The list is not exhaustive. See § 1101(f)(9) (“The fact that any person is not within any of the foregoing classes shall not preclude a finding that for other reasons such person is or was not of good moral character.”). Applicants must also avoid committing offenses that adversely reflect upon their moral character during the statutory period. See § 316.10(b)(3)(iii). We must determine whether the Government’s pleadings demonstrate by “clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence” 2 that Okoro lacked good moral character from November 6, 1992 to June 25, 1999. The Government’s complaint alleges that between June 1996 and June 1999, Okoro committed criminal acts including mail fraud and aiding and abetting in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 2. Okoro was convicted in 2002, more than three years after the period during which he was required to demonstrate good moral character. Though Okoro was not convicted of these offenses during the statutory period, the Government proved that he committed the offenses during that time. Okoro’s offenses involve “dishonesty, false, statement, or fraud [and] reflect adversely on moral character.” United States v. Dor, 729 F. App’x 793, 798