Sacramento-area man charged with orchestrating adult adoption scheme to defraud undocumented immigrants
‘Americans Helping America’ promised citizenship for a price
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento-area man was taken into custody Thursday following his indictment for allegedly orchestrating an adult adoption fraud scheme that promised undocumented immigrants U.S. citizenship in return for fees as high as $10,000.
Helaman Hansen, 63, of Elk Grove, is named in a 13-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; 11 counts of mail fraud; and one count of wire fraud. The charges are the result of an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to court documents, between October 2012 and January 2016, Hansen and others used various entities such as Americans Helping America (AHA) to sell undocumented immigrants memberships in what he called a “Migration Program.” A central feature of the program was the fraudulent claim that adult immigrants could achieve U.S. citizenship by being legally adopted by American citizens and completing a list of additional tasks. At first, memberships sold for annual fees of $150, but that fee gradually grew, eventually becoming as high as $10,000.
“The indictment returned today alleges a particularly predatory and manipulative type of fraud that takes advantage of the hopes and dreams of undocumented immigrants to extract fees based on false promises,” stated U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner. “The adoption of adult aliens is not a legitimate path to U.S. citizenship. While the charges against this defendant are only allegations at this point, no one should pay fees to anyone making false promises of citizenship through adult adoption.”
According to the indictment, although some victims completed the adoption stage of the “Migration Program,” not one person obtained citizenship. As early as October 2012, Hansen was informed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that aliens adopted after their 16th birthdays could not obtain citizenship in the manner Hansen was promoting. Despite that notification, Hansen and his co-conspirators induced approximately 500 victims to pay more than $500,000 to join the fraudulent program.
“This alleged crime victimized vulnerable, would-be immigrants seeking a legitimate pathway to U.S. citizenship. The victims trusted an individual who misrepresented the success of adult adoption in such matters,” said Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller of the FBI’s Sacramento field office. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to investigate and disrupt fraudulent schemes that exploit vulnerable people for financial gain.”
“It is very unfortunate that some in our communities would choose to misrepresent the American immigration system to deceive and hurt those who are trying only to make a better life for themselves and their families,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge for HSI San Francisco.
“It is our entrusted duty to hold these criminals accountable for their actions – and so we shall.”
“It is our entrusted duty to hold these criminals accountable for their actions – and so we shall.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney André M. Espinosa. If convicted, Hansen faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Updated: