You could go to Mario Garcias’s company, Mar Financial, for tax preparation, divorce, or immigration needs. That is a well-rounded product offering by a fraudster. As part of the immigration services, Garcia would help file the form I-485, to apply for lawful permanent resident status if immigrants are currently in the United States. Often, those applicants would have to provide an Affidavit of Financial Support (form I-864) from a financial sponsor guaranteeing to support the applicant while they were in the United States. But sometimes, the Mar Financials clients didn’t have a financial sponsor. Garcia to the rescue. For an extra fee, Garcia would steal personal identifying information and supporting documents of a sponsor from prior legitimate applications without that sponsor’s knowledge nor consent. It seemed like a good service to provide for clients, but authorities did not think so. Garcia was arrested for this immigration scheme, and had a court date scheduled for February 1, 2023.
But what do you do when you’ve been busted selling fraudulent applications for immigrants trying to become permanent U.S. residents? Garcia, a U.S. citizen, grabbed Peruvian travel documents and skedaddled through Central America. When Garcia didn’t show up for his court date on February 1, 2023, Garcia was declared a fugitive. He did show up in Panama on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2023. Unfortunately for Garcia, the law enforcement officers awaiting him as he got off his flight from Costa Rica weren’t holding flowers, chocolates or little teddy bears. Only handcuffs.
Garcia, 65, has pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, misuse of visas and other documents and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentencing is set for June 14, 2023.
Shoutout to the Homeland Security Investigations’ Miami office for bring this fugitive to justice.
Today’s Fraud Of The Day is based on article “A Miami man skipped the country after selling fraudulent residency filings for immigrants” published by Miami Herald on April 23, 2023
What do you do when you’ve been busted selling fraudulent applications for immigrants trying to become permanent U.S. residents? Doral’s Mario Henry Garcia, a U.S. citizen, grabbed Peruvian travel documents and skedaddled through Central America. Garcia was declared a fugitive when he didn’t show up for his Feb. 1 arraignment in Miami federal court. He did show up in Panama on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Unfortunately for Garcia, the law enforcement officers awaiting him as he got off his flight from Costa Rica weren’t holding flowers, chocolates or little teddy bears. Garcia, 65, has pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, misuse of visas and other documents and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentencing is set for June 14.
