Related Federal Cases
- NY AG OSI Clears Officer in Alan Weber Death · New York
- Alexander Smirnoff, Fake Immigration Attorney, Busted in $8K Visa Scam · California
- Election Fraud Watch: DOJ Deploys Officer for 2016 Vote · Washington
- ‘Coyote’ Carranza-Sanchez Admits to Immigration Scam · California
- Wall Street Bailout: NY & CA Lose $2 Trillion · North Carolina
Bribe-Taking Immigration Officer Faces 95 Years
A former immigration officer has been convicted of taking bribes from Cambodian immigrants in exchange for immigration benefits, including granting them temporary legal status, while working in the Santa Ana federal building.
Billy Louis Nelms, Sr., 54, of Los Angeles, was convicted of felony counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and defraud the United States, bribery, conspiracy to witness tamper, and witness tampering.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between 2005 and August 2008, Nelms worked in the Santa Ana federal building as an immigration officer in the Fraud Detection and National Security unit. During that time, he accepted bribes from Cambodian immigrants who were promised permanent legal status in exchange for approximately $5,000 in cash.
The scheme saw Nelms stamping immigration documents, giving the immigrants temporary legal status in the United States. However, following his original indictment in June 2013, Nelms and his wife, Sokhon Nelms, tampered with two of the witnesses identified in the original indictment.
On one occasion, with Nelms present, Sokhon Nelms told a witness not to speak to anyone. This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), with assistance from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Forensic Laboratory (HSI-FL).
Nelms faces a statutory maximum sentence of 95 years, while his wife, Sokhon Nelms, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 60 years. The conviction is a stark reminder of the corruption that can occur within government agencies and the importance of holding officials accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News