Thread: 4 arrested in immigration fraud scheme (updated)

I.C.E.News Release

September 11, 2012
Miami, FL

4 arrested in immigration fraud scheme

MIAMI – Four individuals were arrested in Naples, Fla., Aug. 31, for conspiring to commit immigration fraud. These arrests resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Collier County Sheriff's Office. The indictment alleges the defendants conspired to sell fraudulent Cuban birth certificates and to assist in the preparation of fraudulent applications for immigration benefits.

Nelson Daniel Silvestri Soutto, 53, Laura Maria Ponce Santos, 59, and Amelia Osorio, 60, all of Naples, Fla., Fidel Morejon Vega, 40, of Kissimmee, Fla., were indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami for conspiring to commit immigration fraud. Vega was also charged with three counts of false impersonation of an officer of the United States.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.

• U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

4 arrested in immigration fraud scheme