Three Jailed For Targeting Caribbean Immigrants In Green Card Scam

NEW YORK, New York Mar. 31, (CMC) – Three persons have been sentenced in connection with a scheme, in which they stole more than US$8,000 from two Caribbean immigrants, by falsely promising to help them obtain green cards and other government documents.

On Wednesday, New York District Attorney, Ken Thompson, said two of the defendants were arrested in Lebanon, Pennsylvania and extradited to Brooklyn in November 2015.

“These defendants preyed on some of the most vulnerable members of our community and exploited their desires to achieve the American dream,” he said.

Equally troubling is that a defendant posed as a New York City police officer to further this scheme to defraud – potentially damaging an often hidden community’s trust in law enforcement.”

“As DA (District Attorney), I’m committed to stopping such con artists from targeting and ripping off members of our immigrant communities,” he added.

The defendants, Richard Gomez, 44, and Marisol Mercado, 43, were apprehended in Lebanon, Pennsylvania on October 23, 2015 and returned to Brooklyn on November 9, 2015.

Gomez was sentenced to an indeterminate term of one to three years imprisonment, following his guilty plea, on March 9, to charges of third-degree grand larceny.

Mercado was sentenced to a conditional discharge, following her guilty plea, on the same day, to charges of first-degree attempted criminal impersonation.

Thompson said a third defendant, Francisco Mercado, was also sentenced to conditional discharge, following his guilty plea, to charges of second-degree criminal impersonation.

All three defendants were sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice, Danny K. Chun.

Thompson said, between June 18, 2015 and September 3, 2015, Gomez, with the assistance of Marisol and Francisco Mercado, took money from the victims in exchange for Gomez’s assistance with various government documents, including green cards.

The District Attorney said, according to the investigation, Gomez first approached his victims seeking a donation for the New York City Police Department—to which the victims would give cash.

Gomez continued this ruse to convince his victims to hand over money in exchange for his assistance with various applications to government agencies, Thompson said.

In one instance, Thompson said Gomez secured a US$2,100 loan from a victim, but, upon repayment, the check was declined due to insufficient funds.