Another immigrant scammer faces the full weight of the law for charging thousands of dollars for legal services he did not provide. Although the man could spend many years in prison, that does not diminish the harm to the people he cheated.
For this reason, I dedicate my column This week's Consulta Migratoria® to emphasize the danger of using notaries or immigration consultants for legal procedures.
This is the column:
Edwin Zavala Jr., 24, engineered a long-distance scam. The man, through his business in Louisiana, offered legal services to undocumented immigrants held in detention centers in Texas. But after getting paid, he would disappear, leaving the detained immigrants without their money and without the promised legal advice - until authorities discovered the scam and caught him.
After being alerted to the fraud, federal and State of Texas authorities initiated investigations and filed a criminal complaint and a civil action against Zavala and his company, United Immigration Consulting LLC.
In the criminal complaint, federal authorities charged Zavala with four counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire transfer fraud.
The lawsuit details that since approximately November 2014 Zavala solicited money from clients in several states, including a California resident who paid $$2,250, but never performed the promised services.
Last week, Zavala pleaded guilty in federal court to wire transfer fraud that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $$250,000.
According to official documents, Zavala, who is not an attorney, received more than $$42,000 from 44 people who needed legal help for their deportation proceedings.
How he did the scam
According to authorities, Zavala mailed out numerous letters to undocumented immigrantsin detention centers in Texas advertising his company's immigration legal services in Spanish.
The letters were addressed to specific detainees and had on the envelope the name and alien number of the individuals and urged them to take prompt action.
Once he got a client, Zavala would send him instructions on how to send money to his bank accounts via Western Union or MoneyGram. After receiving the money, he would no longer communicate with the client.
They are still investigating who gave the detainees' private information to Zavala. But what is very clear is that this man, who had been running the scam since 2014, was taking advantage of the vulnerability and desperation of undocumented immigrants in detention centers.
What is the danger of a scam
Besides the loss of money, the most important thing in a situation like the one Zavala's victims experienced is what will happen to their immigration case.
Those people who paid money for deportation defense had their cases compromised by Zavala's deception. Not having a competent immigration attorney representing them increases the likelihood of losing their cases and being deported.
How to verify credentials
Remember, only attorneys or representatives accredited by the federal government can give legal advice to immigrants. No notary, immigration consultant, multi-service or paperwork filler can perform legal procedures or represent anyone in immigration court.
To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, it is of utmost importance that you verify the credentials of persons claiming to be attorneys or accredited representatives.
If you are an attorney, ask to see your current license. Write down the license information and contact the bar association admissions office of the state where the lawyer is licensed to verify that it is authentic.
In the case of an accredited representative, the person must work for an organization that is licensed by the Board of Immigration Appeals to offer legal advice. Ask to see the board order that allows you to help people with immigration applications or petitions. Write down the information to verify its accuracy.
