This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SOFIA 002055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS/CR/VF, CA/FPP, CA/VO/L/C AND CA/VO/F/P 
EMBASSIES FOR CONSULAR SECTION FPU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD ASEC BU
SUBJECT: Entertainment Recruiter's Likely Ties to Visa Fraud 
Warrant Further Attention 
 
¶1. We have noted a pattern of visa abuse that strongly 
implicates Magic Star Entertainment (MSE) -- 142 Estates 
Circle, Lake Mary, FL 32746, phones (407) 322-9211 and (407) 
322-9322, email Kristo500@aol.com, website www.magic- 
star.com -- in alien smuggling, using the P1 visa category. 
MSE's president is Christo Ivanov, a.k.a. Kristo Ivanov, and 
its primary attorney is Mr. Scott A. Silzer -- Suite 3-1142, 
Lakeview Office Park, 1155 South Semoran Blvd, Winter Park, 
Florida, 32792, 407) 697-0101, silzer@earthlink.net. 
 
¶2. Since 1998 we have processed more then one hundred P1 
visa applications from MSE.  MSE is also active in Ukraine, 
Russia, and Romania.  In mid-November, our FPU heard from 
informants that MSE would begin to forward its East European 
visa clients to the U.S. Embassy in London.  This may be an 
attempt to avoid the extra scrutiny these applicants have 
recently been subjected to in Sofia, and probably in Ukraine 
and Russia as well.  We have informed FPU London of our 
information. 
 
¶3. Our best current source regarding (supposed) circus 
performers, in particular, listed on MSE petitions is a 
former circus performer -- Alexander Yuliev -- who had been 
in the business for decades.  Yuliev's wife, Zoya Yulieva, a 
Russian citizen born 06 Jan 1955 in Ukraine, abandoned him 
by immigrating to the U.S. via this P1 scam.  Yuliev 
believed his wife had gone to Moscow to visit her sister in 
April 2004, but later learned she was actually in the U.S. 
caring for elderly people. 
 
¶4. Mrs. Yulieva had been issued a P1 visa in Sofia on 
12/29/2003 on the basis of an MSE petition.  Mr. Yuliev was 
shocked when he found out, because although his wife had 
once been a circus performer she had not been able to 
perform for years because of a serious past injuries to her 
shoulder, back and groin.  In fact, in 2001 the Bulgarian 
Health Ministry had certified that she had lost significant 
working capacity and was entitled to social security 
benefits as a disabled person.  Clearly, then, she was not a 
legitimate circus performer when she applied for her P1 visa 
in Sofia.  Although technically still married to Mr. Yuliev, 
Yulieva has filed for divorce and expressed the intention to 
begin using her maiden name, Linkova.  Yuliev believes she 
has arranged to marry an Amcit to legalize her status in the 
U.S. 
 
¶5. Yuliev has known MSE president Christo Ivanov for some 20 
years, and says Ivanov is a former circus performer who has 
lived in the U.S. for many years and provides circus 
performers and dancers for cruise lines, shows, theme parks 
and circuses.  Yuliev also claims Ivanov is likely involved 
in smuggling women to the U.S. for prostitution as well, and 
that, with the help of his lawyers, has obtained many P1 
visas for phony Bulgarian circus performers.  These 
applicants subsequently got work in the U.S. as carpenters, 
cleaners, drivers and so on.  According to Yuliev, Ivanov 
received USD 2000 from each of these applicants, plus USD 
100 monthly until the applicant is able to adjust status and 
reside legally in his or her new home. 
 
¶6. FPU has developed a general profile fitting MSE's "bad" 
P1 applicants (the company also gets visas for legitimate 
performers).  Often they try to pass off newspaper clippings 
or general articles about circuses as supporting documents, 
even though a fairly cursory look will reveal these are 
unconnected to the applicants themselves.  When spouses 
apply together, one of them typically has relatives in the 
U.S. and/or was previously refused a B1/B2 visa.  They may 
be unable to explain with any confidence or detail what they 
do, and we have also seen a fair share of fake documents and 
altered photos with these cases. 
 
¶7. Earlier this year we met with Mr. Ivanov.  He wanted to 
discuss the visa denials of the members of the dance troupe 
"Step Vision" (petition SRC-04-201-51032).  We stressed that 
none of his P1 applicants petitions would be approved 
without very reliable proof of skills.  Ivanov explained 
that he knew about the many unqualified P1 applicants that 
had come our way through his company, but he claimed that he 
had not been personally involved in the selection process. 
He vowed that henceforth he would personally make all 
selections.  For the "Step Vision" troupe he presented us 
with video tapes, on the basis of which we issued P1 visas 
to 4 out of 9 applicants.  These four were:  Donika Gencheva 
Ivanova (DOB 28 Jan 1981), Nevena Georgieva Ivanova (DOB 24 
May 1980), Diana Kirilova Slavcheva (DOB 03 Apr 1971) and 
Silviya Peteva Eremieva (DOB 21 Oct 1979).  This month 
Yuliev told us that none of these putative dancers has ever 
performed stateside, but are in fact working there as 
babysitters, cooks and housecleaners. 
 
¶8. A similar story unfolded with the acrobatic troupe 
"Sofia" (petition SRC-05-059-52300).  The members of this 
group are Alexander Petrov Tomov (12 Oct 1962), Georgi 
Dimitrov Georgiev 08 Jun 1984), Yusein Aliev Yuseinov (02 
Jun 1981), Todor Zdravkov Yordanov (23 Aug 1967), Dimitar 
Nikolov Dimitrov (18 Mar 1975), Darinka Velinova Angelova 
(26 Jan 1984), Radostina Dimitrova Todorova (09 Sep 1983) 
and Radostin Nachkov Naydenov (29 Jul 1977).  They all 
applied on 1/19/2005 and were all denied under 214(b).  Soon 
thereafter we received an email from the attorney Mr. Silzer 
vouching for the acrobats/performers and highlighting their 
notoriety and importance.  In light of this additional 
information we called them in for a second interview, and 
were shown pictures and videos.  We issued P1 visas to 7 of 
the 8 troupe members.  The lone refusal resulted from a 
possible NCIC match, which required fingerprinting and 
follow-up.  Now we hear from both Yuliev and another source 
that not one of these performers is  working in accordance 
with the petition submitted by MSE, but rather all have 
illegally taken up other unskilled jobs. 
 
¶9. We encourage all indicated parties to pursue further 
investigation in connection with Ivanov and Magic Star 
Entertainment.  We are anxious to collaborate, and in this 
regard we would be happy to share any documents or 
information from our files that might prove useful. 
 
Beyrle