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A new twist in the voluntary missing person case involving Hannah Kobayashi reveals the 31-year-old Maui woman may have been caught up in a green card fake marriage scam, which the FBI is investigating.
Kobayashi has been the center of a massive search since she vanished in California last month after missing a connecting flight from LAX to New York on Nov. 8. Police later ruled this a voluntary missing person case after reviewing video footage of the woman crossing the border into Mexico on foot.
Recently, photos of what appears to be Kobayashi getting married have circulated on social media.
Los Angeles Magazine, citing unnamed sources, said Kobayashi may have been involved in a secret marriage plot for money. The magazine characterized the marriage as an immigration scheme where Hannah was tricked out of the money that she was supposed to receive.
“A Facebook user sent what looked like a Hawaiian beach wedding photo of Hannah with another man with leis around their necks wearing white, and they said that they learned off of Reddit that there was this sham marriage for money and that this is the wedding picture that’s being circulated on Reddit,” said Sara Azari, the Kobayashi family attorney. “Of course, that came as a shock to Hannah’s sister.”
The Argentinian man believed to be involved was on the flight from Maui to LAX on Nov. 8, and so was Kobayashi’s ex-boyfriend.
Her family has been pushing back on police’s claims that she voluntarily left, saying they found out about that video hours before the public did.
“They’re desperate for answers. They want to know that Hannah is safe. This is not like her to do this, so they’re just overwhelmed and in shock and concerned,” Azari said. “We now have to be the LAPD here, which is why I came in with my team. We are going to have to go to Mexico.”
After missing her connecting flight, Kobayashi spent a few days in L.A. Her family said they received bizarre texts from her on Nov. 11, including ones that said: “I got hacked, stripped of my identity, I can’t fly.”
The family says Hannah’s phone has been off since then, which was also the day her family reported her missing. One day later, on Nov. 12, Hannah was seen on video crossing into Mexico around noon by herself and with luggage.
“We’ve basically done everything we can do at this point. She’s left the country and is in another nation now,” McDonnell said. If Kobayashi returns to the U.S., law enforcement will be notified, McDonnell said.
McDonnell said Hannah Kobayashi has a right to her privacy but urged her to reach out to her family or law enforcement.
“A simple message could reassure those who care about her,” McDonnell said. He explained that the voluntary missing person case will remain active until her safety is confirmed by law enforcement.
The family flew to California to search for her. Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide on Nov. 24 after days of searching for his daughter.
The family is asking the public in the U.S. and Mexico to be on the lookout for Hannah and not to dismiss the case.
Source: NewsNation
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