• San Diego man Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 55, pleaded guilty to federal charges for posing as an ICE officer.
• He allegedly scammed Orange County immigrants out of tens of thousands of dollars by promising help with work permits, residency, and citizenship.
• Victims were charged between $10,000 and $20,000 each; he failed to deliver any benefits and fabricated documents.
• Sentencing scheduled for July 16; faces up to 117 years in prison and must pay restitution.
San Diego, California — A local man has admitted in federal court to impersonating an immigration officer and defrauding vulnerable immigrants seeking legal status in the United States.
Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 55, of San Ysidro, entered his guilty plea Wednesday in Los Angeles to 10 counts of false impersonation of a federal officer or employee, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of fraudulent possession and use of U.S. government seals, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors say Brand Jimenez targeted undocumented members of the Latino community, primarily in Orange County. He pretended to be a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or sometimes claimed to be a nonexistent “G-18” official with the Department of Homeland Security.
He told victims he could assist them with obtaining work permits, legal U.S. residency, and citizenship. Each victim reportedly paid him between $10,000 and $20,000. According to court documents, Brand Jimenez never filed any legitimate immigration paperwork and never secured any benefits for those he took money from.
Instead, authorities say he created fake immigration documents bearing the Homeland Security emblem and even provided one victim with a fabricated stay of deportation order. In another case, he supplied documents belonging to a different person, including a valid Social Security card, U.S. passport card, and California ID card, and instructed the victim to use them.
Sentencing is set for July 16. Brand Jimenez faces a maximum of 117 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $4 million, and restitution totaling $152,476 to at least 25 victims, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
This case highlights the risks immigrants face when turning to individuals who falsely promise to navigate the complex U.S. immigration system.