Baltimore, MD – Former Immigration Services Officer John Theis, 40, of Sparrows Point, MD, pleaded guilty to accepting illegal bribes and posing as a U.S. immigration officer, according to the Department of Justice.
Theis worked for the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) in Baltimore from January 2015 until his resignation in September 2015. During that time, he accepted cash payments totaling over $15,000 in exchange for favorable immigration decisions.
In December 2014, Theis and a co-conspirator set up an immigration business, posing as USCIS officers to influence clients to pay for paperwork approval. This scheme continued until February 2015.
Theis went on disability leave in April 2015 after falsely claiming he was unable to work. He resigned and fled to Brazil, continuing his immigration work under a false ICE identity until his return and arrest in December 2016.
He faces up to five years in prison when sentenced on August 8, 2017. The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security OIG, ICE, USCIS, FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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