Jun 30, 2010 3:47 pm US/Eastern
Accused Con Artist Who Targeted Immigrants Jailed
Skye Anico

PLANTATION ― Humberto Pinto, 58, who faces fraud charges and is also jailed on an immigration hold.
Broward Sheriff's Office

A con man has been arrested for stealing thousands of dollars from distressed people with loved ones facing deportation. Detectives have put together two cases against him, but are still searching for more of his victims.

Humberto Pinto, 58, is facing charges of fraud for posing as a so-called "immigration specialist" and immigration attorney.

Broward detectives say Pinto, who lived in Plantation, took over $20,000 from one woman whose Lebanon-born boyfriend was jailed and facing deportation. The con man promised he could remove the immigration order to detain him and help him live and work legally in the country when his sentence was up.

Pinto reportedly duped the woman with forged U.S. Department of State documents and then slowly cashed in on the woman, a few thousand dollars at a time, from February 2009 to May 2010.

In another case, Pinto took over $5000 from an Ohio woman after he pledged to represent her Nicaraguan-husband in court.

BSO found Pinto has an extensive criminal history, including another warrant out in a different Broward jurisdiction for other con acts. Ironically, Pinto is now on an immigration hold.

Anyone with who believes he or she may have been a victim of Humberto Pinto can contact BSO Economic Crimes Detective John Calabro at (954) 321-4254 or report the information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS or www.browardcrimestoppers.org.

http://cbs4.com/local/plantation.con.ar ... 81259.html