Thirteen nationals from Brazil and Cuba have been charged in the US for allegedly running a fake immigration services firm in Florida. As stated in an official release by the Department of Justice, the accused allegedly provided false legal advice, falsified immigration documents and helped clients fraudulently obtain immigration benefits. According to court documents, the company, Legacy Imigra Solutions LLC, allegedly posed as a professional immigration firm staffed by experts and attorneys to attract clients. The defendants also allegedly hired immigrants they knew were not authorised to work in the US and conspired to commit marriage fraud.
Charges against 13 foreign nations accused by US
Vagner Sorares De Almeida (age 54), Juliana Colucci (age 47), Lucas Felipe Trindade Silva (age 34), and Ronaldo De Campos (age 35) are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. They are also charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, and one count of unlawful employment of aliens.Erick Bruno Goncalves De Assis Pinto (age 34), Nathalia Da Costa Ferreira (age 43), Nathalia Gomes Ciriaco (age 29), and Kelen Cristina Da Silva (age 37) are each charged with charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and four counts of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.Issac Antonio Narvaez (age 69) is charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.Ronay Castillo Salazar (age 51), Rebeca Aldama Garcia (age 40), Mijail Cabera Nunez (age 52), and Lorraine Soares Oliverira (age 32) are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.
What the court documents show
According to court records, from August 18, 2023, through April 20, 2026, Vagner Sorares De Almeida owned and operated a corporate entity registered in Florida called Legacy Imigra Solutions LLC (“Legacy”). Juliana Colucci, Lucas Felipe Trindade Silva, Nathalia Da Costa Ferreira, Nathalia Gomes Ciriaco, Ronaldo De Campos, Erick Bruno Goncalves De Assis Pinto, and Kelen Cristina Da Silva were employees of the company. Legacy falsely purported to be a professional establishment employed by immigration experts and attorneys who could assist individuals with immigration-related legal work. It was part of the conspiracy to give false, inaccurate, and incomplete legal and immigration advice to prospective clients to induce them to retain Legacy’s services. Legacy would falsify immigration documents to fraudulently obtain immigration status and benefits for their clients. The defendants also engaged in a regular practice of hiring aliens knowing that the individuals were unauthorized for employment in the United States. Vagner Sorares De Almeida, Juliana Colucci, Ronay Castillo Salazar, Rebeca Aldama Garcia, Mijail Cabera Nunez, Lorraine Soares Oliverira, and Issac Antonio Narvaez also conspired to commit marriage fraud.If convicted, each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. The conspiracy to commit visa fraud offenses are each punishable up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud is 5 years in federal prison, and unlawful employment of aliens carries a maximum penalty of 6 months’ imprisonment.The investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).