Man Poses as ICE Agent Scams

A San Diego man pleaded guilty on April 22 to posing as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and taking money from Orange County immigrants who were trying to stay in the United States. (justice.gov, kesq.com) Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 55, of San Ysidro admitted in federal court in Los Angeles to 10 counts of false impersonation of a federal officer, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count each of fraudulent use of U.S. government seals and aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is set for July 16. (kesq.com) Prosecutors said he targeted more than 25 victims from April 2019 through November 2020, charging each person between $10,000 and $20,000 for promised help with work permits, green cards, legal residency, or citizenship. The government is seeking $152,476 in restitution, and he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 117 years in prison. (justice.gov, kesq.com) According to the 2023 indictment, Brand Jimenez showed victims a fake ICE badge, claimed he was a Homeland Security official, and at times said he held a “G-18” federal post, which prosecutors said does not exist. He was never employed by ICE. (justice.gov) Federal prosecutors said he did not file the immigration paperwork he promised and did not secure any immigration benefits for the people who paid him. Instead, the indictment says, he created bogus documents bearing Department of Homeland Security emblems and even gave one victim a fake stay of deportation order. (justice.gov, kesq.com) In one episode described by prosecutors, he gave a victim a real Social Security card, a U.S. passport card, and a California identification card under another person’s name, then told that victim to use them as proof of legal status and work authorization. (kesq.com) California officials have been warning for more than a year about people impersonating immigration officers and using deportation fears to get cash or personal information. In a March 18, 2025 advisory, Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state had received reports of fake ICE officers and reminded immigrants that real officers do not ask for money over calls, texts, or emails. (oag.ca.gov) The federal immigration court system also runs a fraud reporting program for scams tied to immigration cases, including unauthorized legal help and impersonation schemes. The Executive Office for Immigration Review says its employees will never call to ask for money or personal information. (justice.gov) The case now moves to sentencing, where prosecutors will ask for restitution for at least 25 victims whose search for legal status became the basis for the fraud. (kesq.com)