Fake immigration worker scams people applying for citizenship in Texas, feds say

By pretending to be an employee with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a Texas woman tricked people applying for citizenship out of thousands of dollars, authorities said.

Now, the 53-year-old woman has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison, according to an Oct. 3 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. She also has to pay $123,275 in restitution and a money judgment order of $19,870.

“(She) misled vulnerable migrants for financial gain by convincing them that she was a federal employee who could assist them on their path to U.S. citizenship,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said in the release.

The woman from El Paso pleaded guilty in April to 10 counts of wire fraud and a count of impersonation, authorities said. Her defense attorney could not be reached for comment on Oct. 4.

Authorities said the woman defrauded migrants and their families by claiming she could “process their immigration applications for a substantial fee,” according to the release.

The applicants would give her their documentation and payments, authorities said, but the woman never took any action to help the victims.

“Investigation revealed that (the woman) had amassed thousands of dollars of unexplained wealth within the 18 months coinciding with her fraudulent activity,” according to the release.

She was arrested in January.

Following her arrest, authorities said dozens of potential victims began calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division for help.

This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 7:49 AM with the headline "Fake immigration worker scams people applying for citizenship in Texas, feds say."