Five Charged in Fake Immigration Law Scheme, Four Arrested
Authorities in New York have charged five people in a scheme that ran a fake immigration law firm and defrauded clients out of over $100,000. The indictment, partially unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, includes charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and impersonating U.S. officials.
Four of the defendants were arrested this week:
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Daniela Alejandra Sanchez Ramirez, 25
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Jhoan Sebastian Sanchez Ramirez, 29
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Alexandra Patricia Sanchez Ramirez, 38
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Marlyn Yulitza Salazar Pineda, 24
Daniela, Jhoan, and Alexandra are siblings. Three of the arrested are immigration parolees, and Alexandra is in the U.S. on a tourist visa. The fifth defendant remains at large.
Officials said the group ran a fake law firm called CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria, mainly recruiting clients on Facebook. They charged victims for legal services they never provided, sent fake government-looking documents, and even held sham court proceedings online. In some cases, the defendants pretended to be judges, lawyers, and immigration officers, convincing victims that their real cases had been resolved. This caused at least one victim to miss an actual immigration hearing, leading to a temporary deportation order that was later reversed.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella and officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection condemned the scheme, calling it a serious abuse of vulnerable people seeking help with immigration.
The four arrested defendants will be arraigned tomorrow in Brooklyn federal court. If convicted, each could face up to 20 years in prison.
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