November 10, 2011

Conviction Handed Down in Orlando Visa Fraud Case

On November 9, 2011, in a case that was the result of an investigation by the multi-agency Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBTF), and began with an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), a grand jury found the defendant guilty of worker visa fraud, alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling due to participation in a visa fraud scheme based out of Orlando that resulted in the employment of unauthorized workers in over 100 U.S. hotels, and permitted over 1,000 unauthorized workers to enter the U.S. on fraudulent H-2B visas.

The Defendant, a foreign national who has yet to be sentenced, faces up to ten years in federal prison, and will be subject to removal proceedings upon completion of the sentence. Four co-conspirators in the case had previously pled guilty for their participation in the conspiracy, three of which have been sentenced: one to 18 months, one to 24 months, and one to 20 months in federal prison.

The DBTF was established in 2006 for the purpose of combating document fraud and enhancing national security. Participating agencies include the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), ICE, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the U.S. Department of State, among others.

For more information, visit the ICE news release.