A five-count indictment was partially unsealed in the Eastern District of New York that charged five defendants with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and two counts of false impersonation of an officer or employee of the United States.
Three of the defendants, Daniela Alejandra Sanchez Ramirez, 25 of Ibagué, Colombia and Green Brook, New Jersey, Jhoan Sebastian Sanchez Ramirez, 29, of Ibagué, Colombia and Green Brook, New Jersey, and Alexandra Patricia Sanchez Ramirez, 38, of Ibagué, Colombia, were arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Colombia with one-way tickets.
Marlyn Yulitza Salazar Pineda, 24, of Ibagué, Colombia and North Plainfield, New Jersey, 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. The four defendants who were arrested will be arraigned tomorrow morning at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and Ryan Hill, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, New York Field Office, announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants undermined the integrity of our immigration system by impersonating judges, law enforcement officers, and lawyers, and targeting vulnerable members of our community who sought to hire attorneys to help them navigate sensitive legal issues,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendants brazenly stole their victims’ money and deceived them by sending fictitious documents and holding sham court proceedings. I commend our Office’s prosecution team and the law enforcement agents whose hard work has disrupted this elaborate and outrageous scheme.”
Us v. Sanchez Ramirez 26-Cr-37 Redacted Indictment Ecf No. 9 by scott.mcclallen
Nocella thanked to Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Fraud Detection, and National Security Directorate; the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Executive Office for Immigration Review-Office of the General Counsel’s Fraud & Abuse Prevention Program; and the New York State Office for New Americans.
“We denounce those who would prey upon people trying to work through the immigration system,” stated DHS Inspector General Cuffari. “We will hold accountable anyone who commits fraud or impersonates government officials. We appreciate all our law enforcements partners that worked to expose this scheme and bring these individuals to justice.”
As outlined 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 were attorneys admitted or licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction in the United States.
“The Office of Professional Responsibility in coordination with our other federal partners at DHS OIG, CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO), HSI, and DSS were able to stop an illegal scheme impacting hundreds of potential victims and generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit proceeds, which were being remitted to Colombia, the Foreign Terrorist Organization’s base of operations,” stated CPB-OPR Acting Special Agent in Charge Hill. “Impersonating immigration attorneys and U.S. government officials, including CBP and USCIS officers, and U.S. Embassy personnel, to profit on the fear of others is repulsive. These criminals will now face severe consequences for their horrific actions.”
After receiving victim funds, the defendants and their co-conspirators pretended as if they were actually representing their “clients.” They transmitted documents that appeared to be official because they included symbols of agencies of the United States government. Some of these documents referenced the victims’ actual cases pending in immigration court and/or reflected that the victims’ pending cases had been successfully resolved. In reality, none of these were legitimate documents issued by any United States government agency.
The defendants and their co-conspirators also facilitated sham immigration proceedings, including asylum interviews and court appearances, in which the victims participated via videoconference. In certain of these fictitious proceedings, the defendants and their co-conspirators impersonated immigration judges, agents from CBP 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.
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, which resulted in at least one victim being ordered deported who mistakenly believed her immigration issues were resolved. The order was later reversed.
In total, the investigation has identified over $100,000 in fraudulent transactions transmitted by victims to the defendants and other individuals associated with the fake CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria law firm.
Each defendant faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Special Agent Egbert Simon from EDNY’s Criminal Investigations Unit, Paralegal Specialist Adam Bernard, and Legal Assistant Danielle Rompel.