California Man Federally Charged for Running 7-State Immigration Scam
A man in Sacramento has been charged by federal authorities for running a massive immigration scam. Helaman Hansen, the CEO of Americans Helping America Chamber of Commerce, has been indicted for allegedly offering adult adoptions as a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
While adoption can be helpful for a child under the age of 16, for adults, adoption does not affect immigration status so Hansen’s ploy was presumably fraudulent. Some of his employees even used false information on adoption petitions to ensure the petition would be considered in court.
In addition, Hansen’s organization sold “memberships” to its adoption program, charging fees ranging from $150 to $10,000. In total, the program collected at least $500,000 from at least 500 victims.
While Hansen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, the investigation is complicated and challenging because victims are often reluctant to come forward for fear of deportation.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-charge-california-man-state-immigration-scam-36876675
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