A San Ysidro man accused of issuing multiple fraudulent green cards by impersonating various federal agents, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, is now facing multiple federal charges in the scheme, according to the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 52, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury, accused of taking thousands of dollars from more than 25 Orange County residents here illegally after promising them assistance in obtaining legal residency, work permits or U.S. citizenship, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Brand Jimenez
(US Department of Justice)
Brand Jimenez has not yet been arrested in the case. Federal authorities are working to locate him after he didn’t show up to his sentencing in a different federal court case.
Federal authorities say Brand Jimenez falsely claimed to be an ICE agent — sometimes showing a fake ICE badge — or Homeland Security official to target primarily Latino residents here illegally in the scam. He also claimed to be a “G-18” official, which officials said is a nonexistent position. Brand Jimenez has never worked for ICE.
From April 2019 to November 2020, Brand Jimenez charged the victims $10,000 to $20,000 each, promising them help obtaining legal documentation — but federal prosecutors said he never filed immigration paperwork on their behalf. In multiple instances, he provided the victims with fake immigration documents, including, in one case, a fabricated stay on a deportation order, prosecutors said.
In another case, Brand Jimenez is accused of providing a victim with valid U.S. documents, including a Social Security card and passport, but in a different name, and directed the person to use the wrong name in order to live and work in the U.S., according to the press release.
He is facing 10 counts of false impersonation of a federal officer, three counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of fraudulent possession and use of U.S. government seals, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of misusing a United States passport, according to the indictment.
Officials asked anyone with information on Brand Jimenez’s location to call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at (800) 225-5324 or visit https://tips.fbi.gov/.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
