GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For nearly seven years, Jessica M. Rubio presented herself a government worker, poised and ready to help immigrants cut through red tape to obtain legal status in the United States.
Scores of people took the bait, paying Rubio anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
They paid by selling the family car, taking out a loan or clearing out the family savings account.
In the end, it was a scam. Rubio pocketed nearly $274,000 before law enforcement caught up with her.
“This scheme played on the fear, insecurity and desire of 92 individuals and sometimes entire families to lawfully obtain residency and work status in the United States,’’ Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay M. West wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Some families who fell for the scheme were removed from the U.S. “The return on this investment was devastating,’’ West wrote.
This week, the 32-year-old Holland woman appeared in federal court to be sentenced for what the judge called “appalling’’ conduct.
U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff sentenced Rubio to six years in prison. The judge said she found it “appalling when you pick on people trying to pursue the American dream and do it for your own financial gain.’’
Rubio also has to pay restitution to fraud victims in Michigan, Texas, South Carolina and Alabama.
Criminal charges were filed against Rubio more than two years ago. Investigators say she falsely claimed to be an attorney who worked for the Department of Homeland Security or that she worked for an attorney connected with Homeland Security.
She targeted people who did not have legal status in the U.S.
In addition to offering fraudulent immigration legal services, Rubio claimed she could get people released from federal detention. And she boasted she could conceal criminal histories, court records show.
Rubio did not submit the various immigration forms as promised.
And, if a client complained or questioned her, the inquiries “were met with threats by (Rubio) of removal from the United States,’’ West wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
The victims were primarily low-income individuals desperate to stay in the United States so they could remain with family members, care for a sick child or see their children grow up, West wrote.
“It is not a stretch to pose that a large number of vulnerable victims were involved,’’ West wrote.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said Rubio “took advantage of their hopes and dreams.’’
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