Man Admits Posing as ICE Agent Scam
- A Southern California man confessed to impersonating an ICE agent to defraud Latino immigrants. - He stole tens of thousands of dollars from victims fearing deportation. - The scheme targeted vulnerable immigrant communities in the region patch.com.
A San Ysidro man pleaded guilty Wednesday to posing as an immigration agent and taking money from Latino immigrants in Orange County. (10news.com) Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 55, admitted in Los Angeles federal court to 10 counts of impersonating a federal officer, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count each involving U.S. government seals and aggravated identity theft. (10news.com) Federal prosecutors said he told victims he was an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who could get work permits, lawful permanent residency, or U.S. citizenship. From April 2019 to November 2020, he charged each victim between $10,000 and $20,000. (justice.gov) The indictment said more than 25 people were targeted, most of them undocumented Latino immigrants seeking to stay in the United States. Prosecutors said the scheme brought in at least $152,476 in losses that the government is now seeking as restitution. (justice.gov) (10news.com) When no immigration benefits arrived, prosecutors said Brand Jimenez handed victims fake papers bearing Homeland Security emblems. In one case, he gave a victim a fabricated stay of deportation order; in another, he supplied a valid Social Security card, a U.S. passport card, and a California identification card under another person’s name. (justice.gov) (10news.com) Prosecutors said he also called himself a Homeland Security official and, at times, a “G-18” officer, a title the Justice Department said does not exist. The case turned on fear inside immigrant communities that official-looking badges and documents can exploit. (justice.gov) California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned in March 2025 that the state had received increased reports of fake Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and other immigration scams. His office said real immigration officers do not ask for money or financial information and urged victims to report scams. (oag.ca.gov) Brand Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16. Prosecutors said he faces up to 117 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $4 million fine, and restitution to at least 25 victims. (10news.com)
