A federal grand jury in Louisiana has indicted a group of individuals, including prominent figures in law enforcement, in a conspiracy related to the fraudulent processing of a significant number of federal visas.
The indictment names five men from Louisiana, accused of conspiring to create a complex scheme to assist individuals in obtaining a non-immigrant status U-Visa through the production of fabricated police reports.
The U-Visa program, as described by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is intended for “victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.” It appears that this program has been misused in this case.
Among those charged in the conspiracy are three community police chiefs and a local marshal. The evidence suggests that the conspiracy was initiated in December 2015, culminating in the arrest and charge of the accused this Tuesday.
Federal officials reportedly began noticing a surge in the U-Visas processed in Louisiana, prompting a more in-depth investigation. Additional charges include mail fraud, as many of the counterfeit documents used to secure the fraudulent visas were processed through the U.S. postal system. If convicted, the accused could face lengthy prison terms, with the mail fraud charges alone carrying sentences of up to 20 years.
Alongside the charges, the grand jury indictment includes forfeiture allegations against each defendant. Federal enforcement agents are seeking to recover damages by seizing control of the defendants’ bank accounts, real property, and vehicles.
Jonathan Tapp, the Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans office, had this to say: “We expect law enforcement officers to protect the public and to honor their trust, not to sell that trust and the honor of their badges for personal gain.” This raises important questions about trust in the institutions designed to safeguard us.
The story of these Louisiana law enforcement leaders charged in a visa fraud conspiracy continues to unfold.
