In Los Angeles the scams for many years take advantage of immigrants who are desperately in need of legal advice, spend all their savings, but only speed up the deportation process. February 12 district attorney Jackie Lacey announced the guilty verdicts against several suspects in immigration fraud, whose victims were more than 300 people.
Today, DA Jackie Lacey introduces #LADAOffice»s new Notario Fraud Unit which is dedicated to prosecuting #immigration fraud and the unlawful practice of law. The unit builds on our office»s legacy of aggressively prosecuting consumer protection cases. #LACounty #fraud pic.twitter.com/ytmRzNWYbu
— LA District Attorney (@LADAOffice) February 12, 2019
According to Lacey, the Department for combating immigration fraud initiated 8 major criminal cases from the moment of its Foundation in 2017. Suspects posing as lawyers and extorted high fees for legal services they never provided. As a result, some victims of fraud were deported.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Lacey released the names and photos of 4 suspects who had been convicted on felony counts, including theft, extortion, perjury and forgery. The investigation found that Sadaran Romina Aida, Dalila Moreno, Augusta Gonzalez De La Cruz and Gregory Chavez was extorting money from desperate people by claiming that they are lawyers, agents of the immigration service or officials, which can expedite the processing of legal documents.
The last charge of the Department for the fight against fraud were leveled against a 49-year-old Romina Aida Zagoran from Montebello (California), which is involved in crimes against 91 persons. Deception she received from these people is $667 thousand in the years 2014-2017. Sadaran claimed to have worked for the government and she remained there, she promised that she will be able to speed up the processing of immigration documents. Last week a woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison, she confessed to the theft, extortion and forgery of government documents.
CONVICTED of immigration fraud: Aida Romina Zadorian, who claimed to be an attorney or government worker, charged 91 victims hundreds of thousands of dollars for immigration services they never received. #fraud #scams #criminallaw #LACounty #LADAOffice pic.twitter.com/frP6uvvvHj
— LA District Attorney (@LADAOffice) February 12, 2019
Similar situation with the 53-year-old Gregory Chavez of porter ranch (Los Angeles, CA). He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud, which affected 102 immigrant.
CONVICTED of immigration fraud: Gregory Chavez, who posed as a law enforcement officer, promised the families of immigration detainees that he could get their loved ones out of custody for a price. #fraud #scams #criminallaw #LACounty #LADAOffice pic.twitter.com/B6uQkrbJb6
— LA District Attorney (@LADAOffice) February 12, 2019
Two other criminals sentenced last year to prison for a period of 5 to 9 years, these cases involved about 70 victims. According to prosecutors, they gave fraudsters more than $700 thousand
According to Lacey, despite the fact that illegal immigrants do not have legal status, they can seek assistance if they became victims of swindlers, and not to worry about deportation. To share information on cases of immigration fraud by calling (213) 257-2450.
