News Releases and Statements
News Releases and Statements
Jose Maria Guerrero, 68, and Rodolfo Solis Zepeda, 75, both from San Antonio, were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and five counts of false statements.
An investigation headed by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia field office led to the arrest of a former Liberian rebel general on May 5. Agents from HSI Philadelphia arrested Laye Sekou Camara, a/k/a “K-1,” a/k/a “Dragon Master,” 43, of Mays Landing, NJ, who has been indicted on the charge of use of an immigration document obtained by fraud.
James Theodore Polzin, 48, of Gilbert, Arizona, pleaded guilty in October 2021.
Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya, 61, of Arlington, Virginia attempted to misappropriate $332,027 during the Sri Lankan government’s 2013 purchase of a new embassy building in Washington, D.C.
Teang Liu, 38, of Alexandria, Virginia, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for participating in the conspiracy.
Ana Rioja, 51, of Brownsville and Maria Consuelo de Ureno, 55, a legal permanent resident living in Brownsville were sentenced March 9 by U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera Jr.
The multi-agency awareness campaign runs Feb. 7 to Mar. 11, to help individuals protect their heart and their wallet and illustrates to the public how to recognize the scams before they give any money or assets and provides steps to take if they are victimized.
As the result of a probe by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Carlos Ayala Hernandez, aka “Juan Juarez,” 45, of Granada Hills, was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison, and Miguel Juarez Guerrero, 24, of Van Nuys, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.
Alejandro Nario, 65, and Mylene Casupanan, 42, both citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, were taken into custody, without incident, for possible involvement in a visa fraud scheme.
According to court documents, on Oct. 1, 2020, Rickon Amyon Wade, aka “Ricky Wade,” 35, attempted to obtain a Nevada “Real ID” identification card at a DMV office in Henderson, Nevada, by presenting counterfeit U.S. Permanent Resident and Social Security cards. Wade presented the cards – bearing his name and a Social Security number not assigned to him – as identification.
In October 2017, Griselda Genchi-Garcia, 27, a citizen of Mexico, applied for asylum to the United States from Mexico via the San Ysidro Port of Entry, California. She was given a notice to appear and informed she was a noncitizen and not a citizen or national of the United States.
On April 27, Roel Alaniz, 40, from Weslaco, Texas, entered his guilty pleas in U.S. district court.
According to court documents, Elvis Harold Reyes, 56, of Brandon, who owned and operated EHR Ministries Inc., portrayed himself as an immigration attorney. He is not and has never been a licensed attorney.
After a four-day jury trial, Rickon Amyon Wade, aka “Ricky Wade,” 35, was found guilty of one count of Fraud and Misuse of Visas, Permits and Documents, and one count of Misuse of a Social Security Number.
Yi Chen, aka “Brian Chen,” 33, of Monrovia, pleaded not guilty this afternoon to charges in a 21-count grand jury indictment that alleges conspiracy, visa fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Federal authorities uncovered the 18-month conspiracy through a joint investigation titled Operation Cash on Delivery. The former USPS employees, who at the time worked as mail carriers in the Chicagoland area, are alleged to have stolen credit cards and other financial instruments from the mail and provided them to co-conspirators in exchange for cash or other items, according to a 20-count indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court in Chicago.
Carlos Ayala Hernandez, a.k.a. “Juan Juarez,” 44, of Granada Hills, the 19-count indictment’s lead defendant; and Nestor Perez, a.k.a. “Daniel Perez,” 32, of Van Nuys, each pleaded not guilty to one conspiracy count, nine counts of production of false identification documents, seven counts of transferring false identification documents and one count of possession of five or more false identification documents. Hernandez also pleaded not guilty to one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Howard D. Farley, Jr., 72, of Weirsdale and Duc Hanh Thi Vu, 56, of Weirsdale, were indicted for passport fraud. Farley was also charged with aggravated identity theft, Social Security fraud, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and operating as a pilot without a legitimate airman’s certificate.
Chang Yu “Andy” He, 55, of Monterey Park, the owner of Fair Price Immigration Service, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.
The federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges a total of three Lake Elsinore residents with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud: Anuj Mahendrabhai Patel, 30, a.k.a. “Mike” and “Indio”; Elmer Miranda Barrios, 35, whose aliases include “Welbin Raul Mejia” and “Joe Rodriguez”; and William Margarito Barrios, 36, Elmer Barrios’s cousin, who faces an additional charge of being an illegal alien who re-entered the United States following deportation.
Donovan Pham Nguyen, 34, of Orange, pleaded guilty this afternoon to one count of impersonation of a federal officer.
On Sept. 9, 2020, Rito Salomon Palacios, 51, from Laredo, pled guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana for wire fraud and extortion under color of official right.
A federal grand jury in Wilmington charged seven foreign nationals on August 31 on federal felony charges including falsely claiming U.S. citizenship or making false statements on voter registration application, and with misdemeanor charges of unlawfully casting ballots in the 2016 presidential election.
Donovan Pham Nguyen, 34, of Riverside, is charged with one count of false impersonation of a federal officer or employee, according to a criminal complaint unsealed today. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
Jorge Vasquez, 60, of Fontana, the owner of H-2A Placement Services, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered Vasquez to pay $135,389 in restitution. Vasquez pleaded guilty in June 2019 to one count of conspiracy and one count of aiding and abetting fraud in foreign labor contracting.
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