Druzenko last person to plead guilty in marriage frauds case

Oleksandr Nikolayevich Druzenko - a Ukranian national known as "Alex" by many of his friends - pleaded guilty today to federal marriage fraud charges.

Federal prosecutors said Druzenkl married Patricia Anne Ewalt on June 22, 2007, in Jefferson City, in order to stay in the U.S. after his student visa expired.

Although married legallly, they never lived together as a couple.

Ewalt pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 5.

Jefferson City lawyer James D. "Doug" Barding, 62, and Ukranian national Chernova, 40, who currently lives in Chandler, Ariz., also pleaded guilty this month to their involvement in a separate fruadulent marriage that was included in the same, 2012 indictment.

All four defendants could be sentenced to up to five years in federal prison without parole, and fined up to $250,000 - with their sentencing hearings to be scheduled after the United States Probation Office completes its pre-sentence investigations.