Four Colombians Arrested in NJ for Fake Immigration Scam

Four Colombian nationals were arrested in New Jersey on Friday after federal prosecutors accused them of operating a fake immigration law firm and impersonating judges and federal agents to defraud migrants out of more than $100,000. The scheme, which targeted vulnerable immigrants seeking legal help, involved staging sham court proceedings and creating bogus documents, leading some victims to miss real immigration hearings and face deportation orders.

The defendants, identified as siblings Daniela Alejandra Sanchez Ramirez, 25; Jhoan Sebastian Sanchez Ramirez, 29; and Alexandra Patricia Sanchez Ramirez, 38; along with Marlyn Yulitza Salazar Pineda, 24, allegedly ran a fictitious firm called CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria. None of the individuals were licensed to practice law in the United States. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York said the group solicited clients primarily through Facebook, charging fees from hundreds to thousands of dollars for nonexistent services.

According to the indictment unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court, the operation ran from March 2023 to November 2025. The defendants produced fake documents mimicking official U.S. agency...