Nanje v. Chaves

SELYA, Circuit Judge.

The lead-in to a serialized radio program, wildly popular in the mid-1900s, warned that “the weed of crime bears bitter fruit.” In his quest for naturalization (which rests at the epicenter of this appeal), the petitioner has learned that hard lesson at first hand. The tale follows.

I. BACKGROUND

Petitioner-appellant Janarius Elanjwe Nanje is a native of Cameroon who has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2002. In March of 2005, he was charged in a Massachusetts court with two counts of filing false health care claims, one count of larceny, and one…