$20,000 green card: California man impersonates ICE officer to defraud immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship

A California man impersonated a U.S. immigration official to defraud vulnerable immigrants out of large sums of money. He has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, NBC San Diego reported.Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 55, admitted in a Los Angeles court this week that he impersonated a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent to defraud immigrants seeking legal status in the United States.The Jimenez brand targets undocumented members of the Latino community, promising to help them obtain work permits, legal residency and citizenship, and even green cards. He charged each victim $10,000 to $20,000, despite having no authority or ability to provide such services.He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of impersonating a federal official, as well as charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft and illegal use of government seals, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, and he could face up to 117 years in prison, a $4 million fine and more than $152,000 in restitution to at least 25 victims.Not only did Brand Jimenez claim to be an ICE agent, he also falsely claimed to be a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official. In some cases, he told victims he was a “G-18” officer, but the position did not exist. He never filed a legal immigration petition on behalf of the victim. Instead, he created false documents using their names, complete with fake Homeland Security designations, to make his claims appear authentic. At one point, he even forged a moratorium on deportation to convince his victims they would not be deported.The scheme left dozens of victims penniless and without any legal immigration benefits, despite paying substantial fees in hopes of a better future. This case is one of many cases of fraud targeting immigrant communities, particularly those seeking legal ways to live and work in the United States.