Woman sentenced in green-card nuptial scam
Fort Worth grandmother going to prison for 4 years
By ANABELLE GARAY
Associated Press
Sept. 23, 2009, 6:00PM
DALLAS — A grandmother who admitted to running a scheme in which her family members married scores of foreigners seeking to stay in the United States was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison.
Maria Refugia Camarillo, 72, her graying hair pulled back in a ponytail, used a walker during her court appearance and sat calmly as she was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison.
Camarillo, of Fort Worth, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents.
Federal prosecutors said Camarillo arranged green card marriages for more than two decades.
She recruited her children, nieces, nephews and even her three teenage grandchildren to be the American spouses of would-be immigrants. Men and women would pay her up to $12,000 each; once married to one of her U.S. citizen relatives, clients could obtain a green card and later U.S. citizenship.
Immigration officials are trying to find the foreign spouses. More than a dozen of Camarillo's family members have been charged in the case.
“For decades, this woman ignored immigration laws and even recruited numerous family members to join this conspiracy,” John Chakwin Jr., special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations, said in a statement. “Our ICE-led Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force ... identified, investigated and prosecuted this woman who thought she was above the law.”
Camarillo's attorney told the judge that his client has had a stroke, has a pacemaker and suffers from multiple health problems. He sought home confinement for her, saying a prison term of more than three years would be like a life sentence for Camarillo.
“She knows time is short for her,” said attorney William Zachary.
But federal prosecutors sought a nearly five-year sentence, saying the investigators still must find some 170 immigrants who benefited from the scheme.
Court documents allege that Camarillo would meet the prospective spouse in her office behind her Fort Worth home. During the meeting or soon after, the client would pay half the fee.
The bride and groom Camarillo paired would typically meet for the first time when they applied for a marriage license. A justice of the peace usually performed the weddings.
Later, the couples would meet again to pose for photographs together wearing different outfits. The pictures created the illusion of a legitimate marriage that they could show to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The couples also would rehearse answering the questions immigration officials would ask during an interview, using the scripts Camarillo provided them, investigators allege.
To hide the scam from authorities, Camarillo said, she and others prepared fake divorce decrees, tax returns and identification — including birth certificates and Social Security numbers — for the petitioning American spouses.
Camarillo admitted in court documents that family members participating in the scheme were compensated through direct payment or payment of bills by Camarillo.
Fifteen of Camarillo's relatives, including her son, Oscar Hernandez, were indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents, identity fraud, Social Security fraud, and misuse of visas, permits and other documents.
Since their arrests last year, many of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Several still await sentencing.
Grandmom, 72, heads to prison for green-card nuptial scam - Houston Chronicle
Fort Worth grandmother going to prison for 4 years
By ANABELLE GARAY
Associated Press
Sept. 23, 2009, 6:00PM
DALLAS — A grandmother who admitted to running a scheme in which her family members married scores of foreigners seeking to stay in the United States was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison.
Maria Refugia Camarillo, 72, her graying hair pulled back in a ponytail, used a walker during her court appearance and sat calmly as she was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison.
Camarillo, of Fort Worth, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents.
Federal prosecutors said Camarillo arranged green card marriages for more than two decades.
She recruited her children, nieces, nephews and even her three teenage grandchildren to be the American spouses of would-be immigrants. Men and women would pay her up to $12,000 each; once married to one of her U.S. citizen relatives, clients could obtain a green card and later U.S. citizenship.
Immigration officials are trying to find the foreign spouses. More than a dozen of Camarillo's family members have been charged in the case.
“For decades, this woman ignored immigration laws and even recruited numerous family members to join this conspiracy,” John Chakwin Jr., special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations, said in a statement. “Our ICE-led Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force ... identified, investigated and prosecuted this woman who thought she was above the law.”
Camarillo's attorney told the judge that his client has had a stroke, has a pacemaker and suffers from multiple health problems. He sought home confinement for her, saying a prison term of more than three years would be like a life sentence for Camarillo.
“She knows time is short for her,” said attorney William Zachary.
But federal prosecutors sought a nearly five-year sentence, saying the investigators still must find some 170 immigrants who benefited from the scheme.
Court documents allege that Camarillo would meet the prospective spouse in her office behind her Fort Worth home. During the meeting or soon after, the client would pay half the fee.
The bride and groom Camarillo paired would typically meet for the first time when they applied for a marriage license. A justice of the peace usually performed the weddings.
Later, the couples would meet again to pose for photographs together wearing different outfits. The pictures created the illusion of a legitimate marriage that they could show to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The couples also would rehearse answering the questions immigration officials would ask during an interview, using the scripts Camarillo provided them, investigators allege.
To hide the scam from authorities, Camarillo said, she and others prepared fake divorce decrees, tax returns and identification — including birth certificates and Social Security numbers — for the petitioning American spouses.
Camarillo admitted in court documents that family members participating in the scheme were compensated through direct payment or payment of bills by Camarillo.
Fifteen of Camarillo's relatives, including her son, Oscar Hernandez, were indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents, identity fraud, Social Security fraud, and misuse of visas, permits and other documents.
Since their arrests last year, many of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Several still await sentencing.
Grandmom, 72, heads to prison for green-card nuptial scam - Houston Chronicle
