Thread: New Jersey man gets prison, fine for brokering sale of fake

New Jersey man gets prison, fine for brokering sale of fake green cards to illegal aliens
Posted by Brendan Kirby, Staff Reporter January 18, 2009 2:00 PM
Categories: Breaking News
MOBILE, Ala. -- A New Jersey man who brokered the sale of fake green cards to illegal immigrants from his native Philippines has gottne prison followed by house arrest and a fine.

Appearing before a federal judge, Alfredo Dimalanta declared himself a "contrite man" and sobbed as he described his desire to help his fellow countrymen follow his path toward the American dream.



He admitted to arranging from illegal immigrants to go to Mobile, where an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent posed as a businessman with contacts in the government who could produce authentic-looking permanent resident cards. An informant introduced Dimalanta to the undercover agent in 2004.

"I tried my best to be a good citizen," Dimalanta said. "It was this noble intention that led me to accept this offer from a fellow Filipino."

Defense attorney James Byrd said his 57-year-old client, a mortgage broker who lives in Jersey City, has never been in trouble with the law before and asked for straight probation.

U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose rejected that, saying that it was more than mere altruism that motivated Dimalanta. She noted that 13 people paid for the documents found themselves under arrest.

"You led a lot of people into criminal activity," DuBose said. "It's just shameful that you went in the other direction and profited off of it."

DuBose ordered Dimalanta to serve five months in prison followed by five months of home confinement with electronic monitoring. She also ordered him to pay a $40,000 fine, roughly equivalent to the profit he says he made from selling the IDs.

(For a complete rundown of news from federal court, read Monday's Press-Register.)

Tags: Alfredo Dimalanta, federal court, fraud, green cards, immigration, permanent resident cards, scam
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http://blog.al.com/live/2009/01/new_jer ... n_fin.html

He should have been sent back to the Philipines.

Filipinos are the second highest groups of illegals after Mexicans.

Originally Posted by jonhaloi

He should have been sent back to the Philipines.

Filipinos are the second highest groups of illegals after Mexicans.

I agree. He should have been sent back. I don't care where they're from; if they come here and break our laws,they should be made to go back where they started from.