A California man posed as a US immigration officer to cheat vulnerable migrants out of large sums of money. He has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, reports NBC San Diego.
55-year-old Davyd George Brand Jimenez admitted in a Los Angeles court this week that he impersonated an agent from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in order to scam immigrants seeking legal status in US.
Brand Jimenez targeted undocumented members of the Latino community, promising to help them secure work permits, legal residency and citizenship and even Green Cards. He charged each victim between $10,000 and $20,000, despite having no authority or ability to provide such services.
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of falsely impersonating a federal officer, along with charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft and illegal use of government seals. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, and he could face up to 117 years in prison, along with a fine of $4 million and restitution of over $152,000 to at least 25 victims.
Brand Jimenez not only claimed to be an ICE agent but also falsely presented himself as an official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In some cases, he told victims he was a “G-18” official, a position that does not exist. He never filed legitimate immigration applications on behalf of his victims. Instead, he created fake documents using their names, complete with forged Homeland Security emblems, to make his claims appear genuine. In one instance, he even produced a fabricated stay of deportation order to convince a victim they would not be removed from the country.
The scheme left dozens of victims without any money and without any legal immigration benefits, despite paying large fees in the hope of securing a better future. The case is one of many fraud targeting immigrant communities, particularly those seeking legal pathways to live and work in the United States.
