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

27
/26
February
By Kateryna Heyman
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services assisted in an investigation that resulted in a five-count federal indictment against four individuals accused of participating in conspiracies involving wire fraud, money laundering, and impersonating U.S. government officials, including immigration authorities. The indictment, unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that the defendants operated a fake immigration law firm called CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria. Three siblings—Daniela, Jhoan, and Alexandra Sanchez Ramirez—were arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Colombia, and Marlyn Yulitza Salazar Pineda was arrested at a restaurant in New Jersey. A fifth defendant remains at large. The group members were in the United States on parole or tourist visas and were not licensed attorneys in any U.S. jurisdiction. According to court filings, the defendants solicited victims—primarily through Facebook—charging hundreds or thousands of dollars for nonexistent immigration legal services. They allegedly sent fraudulent documents bearing U.S. government symbols and staged sham asylum interviews and court hearings via videoconference, impersonating immigration judges, federal officers, and attorneys while dressed in robes or uniforms against backdrops resembling official courtrooms. Victims were asked for sensitive personal information and, in some cases, were falsely told their immigration matters had been resolved, causing them to miss real court appearances. At least one victim was ordered deported as a result, though that order was later reversed. Authorities identified more than $100,000 in fraudulent payments connected to the scheme. The defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
For more information, please contact the Las Vegas immigration attorney, Darren Heyman.
Kateryna has both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from nationally acclaimed Kyiv National Linguistic University, wherein she focused on multi-lingual translation. She has graduated from California School of Law and got licensed to practice law by the State Bar of California in 2024. Languages spoken: Russian, Ukrainian, German, and English. Federal Area of Practice: immigration.
Kateryna Heyman

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