Feds Nab People In Illegal Green Cards Case

Story by Al Pefley / CBS 12 News

VERO BEACH, Fla -- What would you do if you needed a green card, to stay in the U.S. legally?

The feds arrested dozens of people in our area, mostly from Thailand, who were willing to shell out a lot of money for a green card.

They say Sarah Tipfun, 60, of Vero Beach was the kingpin of the case.

She owned two Thai restaurants on the Treasure Coast, and officials say she wanted green cards for her employees and relatives.

Agents say she brought illegal aliens to meet with a Department of Homeland Security special agent, who led them to believe he could get them a genuine Lawful Permanent Resident Card, also known as a "green card," for a price of $20,000 per card.

The meetings took place at Tipfun's home in Vero Beach and at the two restaurants.

"They were bribing a federal agent, basically. People will do and spend almost anything to obtain documents to stay here," said Van Lindsey, special agent with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.

Lindsey says many of the people who met with the agent needed green cards to stay in the country because although they had come here legally, they had overstayed their work visas.

Agents say 43 people, mostly Thai nationals, met with the agent to attempt to buy a green card and shelled out a staggering $660-thousand dollars.

This went on for several months, from December 2011 to October 2012.

All the defendants have been sentenced, several are in prison, most are awaiting deportation.

In a plea bargain, Tipfund pled guilty and got 5 years in prison.

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