Jun 1, 2010 2:16 pm US/Pacific
SJ Woman Accused In Illegal Immigration Scam




SAN JOSE (BCN) ― A former immigration consultant is due to be arraigned in federal court in San Jose later this month on charges of encouraging illegal immigration for private financial gain.

Evelyn Sineneng-Smith, 62, of San Jose, is accused of fraudulently counseling health care workers from the Philippines who had overstayed visitors' visas and were seeking a permanent resident employment-based visa.

The workers were employed in residential health care facilities such as nursing homes.

An indictment filed in federal court in San Jose last week alleges that Sineneng-Smith encouraged workers to apply for a U.S. Labor Department certification program while knowing they were not eligible because they had not filed a petition by a 2001 deadline.

The indictment alleges Sineneng-Smith charged her clients $6,800 for filing applications for the labor certification program for which they were not eligible.

She also gave them a document entitled "Prayer for Your Leniency and Mercy," which they were supposed to give to state and federal officials, the indictment said.

Smith operated the immigration consulting business from its San Jose headquarters from 1990 to 2008 and also had storefront offices in La Jolla, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and New York, according to the indictment.

The eight-count indictment issued by a federal grand jury on May 26 charges Sineneng-Smith with encouraging illegal immigration for private financial gain, mail fraud and filing false income tax returns for 2002 and 2003.

The charges, if Sineneng-Smith is convicted, each carry potential maximum sentences of three to 20 years in prison.

Sineneng-Smith will be arraigned June 24 before U.S. Magistrate Patricia Trumbull.

Her defense lawyers were not immediately available for comment.


http://cbs5.com/local/SJ.illegal.immigr ... 26889.html