USCIS Helps in Immigration Fraud Investigation Resulting in Indictments and Arrests in New York City

Charges include impersonating U.S. immigration officials NEW YORK – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided vital assistance during the investigation that led to a five-count indictment and arrests of four individuals. The four were arrested for their alleged roles in federal conspiracies related to alleged wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and two counts of false impersonation of an officer or employee of the United States, including immigration officials. The indictment was partially unsealed in the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. attorney announced the charges. Three of the defendants, Daniela Alejandra Sanchez Ramirez, Jhoan Sebastian Sanchez Ramirez, and Alexandra Patricia Sanchez Ramirez, were arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Colombia with one-way tickets. Marlyn Yulitza Salazar Pineda was arrested at a restaurant in New Jersey. A fifth defendant is not in U.S. custody. Daniela and Jhoan Ramirez and Marlyn Pineda are immigration parolees, and Alexandra Ramirez is in the U.S. on a tourist visa. Daniela, Jhoan, and Alexandra Ramirez are siblings. As described in the indictment and other court filings, the defendants and their co-conspirators portrayed themselves as immigration lawyers and operated a fictitious immigration law firm that they called CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria. After soliciting prospective clients, primarily on Facebook, the defendants and their co-conspirators charged their victims fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars for nonexistent legal advice and services. None of the defendants or their identified co-conspirators are attorneys admitted or licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction in the United States. After receiving victim funds, the defendants and their co-conspirators pretended they were actually representing their victims. They sent documents that appeared to be official because they included symbols of agencies of the U.S. government. Some of these documents referred to the victims’ actual cases pending in immigration court or showed that the victims’ pending cases had been successfully resolved. In reality, none of these were legitimate documents issued by any U.S. government agency. The defendants and their co-conspirators also held sham immigration proceedings, including asylum interviews and court appearances, in which the victims participated via videoconference. In some of these sham proceedings, the defendants and their co-conspirators impersonated immigration judges, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and USCIS, and immigration lawyers. They wore judicial robes and law enforcement uniforms and appeared in front of backgrounds that resembled courtrooms and government offices, with agency seals and flags. During these videoconferences, the impersonators asked the victims sensitive personal questions and requested the victims’ personal identifying information. At times, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely represented that these sham proceedings had resolved the victims’ pending immigration cases. As a result, victims missed their actual appearances in immigration court. At least one victim was ordered deported while she mistakenly believed her immigration issues were resolved. The order was later reversed. In total, the investigation has identified over $100,000 in fraudulent transactions paid by victims to the defendants and other individuals associated with the fake CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria law firm. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Each defendant faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted.