Woman allegedly helped wealthy foreigners commit visa fraud
Federal authorities charged a Laredo woman in San Antonio with using fraud to help Mexican entrepreneurs get visas that let them live in the United States.
A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charges Emilia Diaz, 41, who runs a financial and immigration services business in Laredo, with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and two counts of visa fraud. It states she provided fraudulent paperwork to the State Department in an effort to get “E” series visas for at least 14 clients between November 2006 and February of this year.
Prosecutors also seek a judgment against Diaz of $250,000.
E-1 and E-2 visas give residency leading to citizenship to Mexicans who are involved in trade or “substantially” invest in certain types of U.S. businesses, renewable every three to five years.
The indictment states Diaz included fraudulent tax forms and false information on businesses and employees on visa applications. It was not clear how many of the clients, identified only by initials, entered the country before the State Department caught on.
Diaz pleaded not guilty and was released on $3,000 bail.
On one application, she claimed the applicant would be starting a business and staying at an address that turned out to be the location of her own business, EG Professional Services in Laredo, the indictment said.
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