immigration

Published on: May 9, 2019

Chinese Nationals Swindled Out of $1.5 Mil in Immigration Scam

Two Los Angeles County residents have been charged for their alleged involvement in an immigration scheme allowing them to illegally obtain $1.5 million from Chinese nationals with the false promise of visas.

34-year-old West Covina resident Nianfei Bu, and 37-year-old Hourong Zhang, from Rowland Heights, were taken into custody on Thursday after purportedly pilfering cash from Chinese nationals in 2015 and 2016.

Bu and Zhang allegedly told seven people that if they invested money in one of several five restaurants of which Bu is the proprietor they would be given visas. The money was allegedly taken from the unknowing investors by Bu and Zhang, but the visas were never produced.

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Published on: February 4, 2019

ICE Detained Rapper 21 Savage for Expired Visa

by Staycie R. Sena

Recording artist 21 Savage was arrested on Sunday for allegations that he is not a legal resident of the United States since his visa expired several years ago.

On Sunday, Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph aka 21 Savage, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Abraham-Joseph came to America in 2005 with his parents when he was underage and he had a year-long visa granting him temporary citizenship upon arrival.

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Published on: May 23, 2018

Faux Attorney Offered Discount to Woman if She Agreed to Sexual Favors

by Staycie R. Sena

A man who works for a legal firm allegedly posed as an attorney and offered a woman seeking representation discounted help if she would have sex with him.

On April 3, a woman went to a law firm in Los Angeles looking for legal help for her husband with his immigration case.

The woman reportedly met with 67-year-old Jose E. Morales who was an employee in the office. According to her account of the events, Morales convinced her that he was a licensed attorney and she disclosed her husband’s legal needs.

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Published on: December 15, 2017

Man Accused of Human Trafficking and Selling Underage Girl for Sex

by Staycie R. Sena

After a year-long investigation police have arrested a man for allegedly selling sexual acts from a teenage girl who was smuggled into the United States from a country that has not yet been determined.

A young girl was brought to America when her sister made arrangements with a coyote who agreed to smuggle her into the country illegally. Though immigration detained the girl for 50 days she was eventually released into the custody of her sister. Her sister was then reported to have pressured the teenager into having sex with her fiancé to assist with her living expenses.

The woman’s fiancé, 47-year-old Juan Perada, a legal citizen of El Salvador residing in Deltona, Florida, has been accused of taking the young girl to his home and having sex with her. He also was said to have paid her between $200 and $600 for having sexual relations with himself and various other men.

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Published on: October 5, 2017

Dozens of Immigrants Scammed by Woman Impersonating Attorney

by Staycie R. Sena

36-year-old Jessica Godoy Ramos has been accused of posing as an immigration attorney and representing several immigrants seeking legal citizenship status, charging thousands of dollars for services she never provided. Ramos allegedly assumed the identity of a New York lawyer with a similar name and stole her bar license number allowing her to work undetected for several years.

A criminal complaint against Ramos claims her clients believed she was a legitimate lawyer until many of them showed up for appointments at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that were never scheduled. Though Ramos filed immigration petitions in some cases, it is alleged that she performed no tasks for some of the clients she billed. In addition, she allegedly issued counterfeit immigration parole documents with which a client was able to enter the U.S.

In February Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received information from the USCIS concerning five individuals represented by Ramos who tried to pick up green cards that did not exist, resulting in the decision to open an investigation.

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