A Florida man is facing multiple federal charges after he allegedly filed false asylum claims on behalf of hundreds of undocumented immigrants seeking to stay in the United States. Prosecutors accused Elvis Harold Reyes, 56, of portraying himself as a pastor and immigration attorney for EHR Ministries Inc. and targeting immigrants living in Florida.
He also claimed he was a former immigration official and convinced his victims to hire him to represent their case. After taking their money, Reyes allegedly filled out immigration applications in the victims’ names in which he provided false answers to questions and fabricated claims of threats that the victims were facing in their home countries.
Officials said that his victims did not know he was providing false information and that he failed to inform them of the penalties for lying on the forms.
Investigators said that he filed petitions on behalf of at least 200 people, and believe there could be more victims.
Reyes was charged with eight counts of mail fraud, eight counts of making false statements in immigration documents, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, Reyes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of mail fraud, up to 15 years’ imprisonment for each false statement count, and a mandatory, consecutive term of two years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts.
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