Wichita ? A Kansas National Guard member who served in Liberia has been charged with helping an AWOL Liberian soldier commit visa fraud in a case the government contends posed a potential security risk to the United States.

Specialist William Reed Halvorsen, of Elmsdale, also was charged Wednesday with lying to immigration authorities about the whereabouts of Liberian national Devine Togba Pearson. Prosecutors separately charged Pearson with visa fraud.

Halvorsen did not reply to an email and no one answered his phone. His public defender, Ronald Wurtz, said Thursday he had just entered his appearance in the case and did not yet have a very good feel for it yet, but noted his client was entitled to a presumption of innocence and hoped people did not jump to conclusions. No attorney was listed for Pearson.

The government alleged that Halvorsen returned to Liberia as a tourist last month and helped Pearson fraudulently obtain a visitor’s visa to enter the United States. Pearson allegedly failed to inform immigration authorities on his visa application and during his interview that he was an active member of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The government contends that had the consular officer who handled his application known Pearson was an active member of the Liberian forces, he would have asked for the paperwork authorizing his leave.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in an affidavit filed with the criminal complaints that by failing to provide that information Pearson, whom it called “a foreign military asset,” went AWOL from the Liberian forces and committed visa fraud, “thus causing a potential national security risk to the United States.”

ICE agent Jesse Stoker said in his affidavit that Halvorsen told the consular officer who handled the visa application that he paid for Pearson’s trip to the United States because Pearson had helped him out when he was in Liberia a year ago and that he had promised to repay the favor.

Pearson entered the United States at Newark, N.J., on June 27 during which time he told a border protection agent that he had a good friend who was going to support him while he is here. A records check showed Halvorsen had returned to the United States four days earlier. Pearson’s visa was revoked June 30.

Stoker wrote that when he interviewed Halvorsen on Tuesday during which time Halvorsen confirmed he had intentionally misled the consular officer in Liberia by failing to inform him that Pearson was an active duty member of the Armed Forces of Liberia who had nine months remaining on his military commitment. Halvorsen allegedly told Stoker he did so because he believed disclosing that fact would cause Pearson’s visa application to be denied, according to the affidavit.

Halvorson also allegedly told the agent that he did not know Pearson’s whereabouts. He told agents he took Pearson to a local bus line in Emporia over the July 4th weekend where he boarded a bus to Minnesota. But agents later found there were no tickets or travel information in Pearson’s name. Halvorsen later admitted after being contacted again by ICE about the supposed trip that he misled agents about Pearson’s travel, stating he wanted to be a good friend to Pearson and contact him before before agents located him, according to the affidavit. He then stated Pearson was in the Baltimore, Maryland area.

It was unclear from the court record Thursday whether Pearson was in custody.