EL PASO, Texas — An El Paso girl pleaded responsible April 10 to 11 felony counts associated to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal worker following an investigation by Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI).
In response to court docket paperwork, Ana Maria Hernandez, 53, portrayed herself to be a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS) worker and defrauded quite a few noncitizen victims and their members of the family by falsely representing that she would course of their immigration functions for a considerable payment.
Hernandez’s victims offered her with the documentation required to file and regulate their immigration standing. She was not a USCIS worker and by no means took any actions to regulate the victims’ standing. Investigation revealed that Hernandez had amassed 1000’s of {dollars} of unexplained wealth throughout the 18 months coinciding together with her fraudulent exercise.
Following Hernandez’s arrest on Jan. 23, 2023, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Western District of Texas and HSI El Paso started receiving calls from dozens of potential victims in her fraud scheme.
Hernandez pleaded responsible to 10 counts of wire fraud and one depend of impersonating an worker of america. She faces a most penalty of 20 years imprisonment on every wire fraud depend and three years on the impersonation depend. A federal district court docket decide will decide any sentence after contemplating the U.S. Sentencing Pointers and different statutory elements. A sentencing date has not but been set.
Assistant U.S. Lawyer Patricia Aguayo is prosecuting the case.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), answerable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these felony organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure by way of which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of greater than 8,700 workers consists of greater than 6,000 particular brokers assigned to 237 cities all through america, and 93 abroad places in 56 international locations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative regulation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. regulation enforcement.
Be taught extra about HSI’s mission to fight fraud in your neighborhood on Twitter @HSIElPaso.