CA-Former Armenian consul among those charged with helping i
Former Armenian consul among those charged with helping illegal immigrants avoid deportation
LA TIMES
July 28, 2009
Five people, including a former Armenian consul in Los Angeles and a Beverly Hills immigration attorney, have been arrested on charges that they sold official letters to illegal immigrants to help them avoid deportation, prosecutors said today.
The arrests, which took place in the last 24 hours, were the result of a two-year investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The five are accused of supplying so-called letters of refusal from the Armenian Consulate for as much as $35,000 apiece, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of California.
These letters state that a country will not issue a travel document for a particular individual, essentially blocking that person's deportation to that nation.
Investigators believe many of those who purchased the letters were Armenian nationals facing deportation after being convicted of felony offenses in the United States.
“These defendants endangered the safety and security of United States residents,â€
