NEWARK, N.J. – A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer is facing a lengthy prison sentence after a federal jury found him guilty of a shocking corruption scheme involving cash, sex, and the exploitation of the immigration system. Arnaldo Echevarria, 39, of Somerset, New Jersey, was convicted on multiple counts related to accepting bribes to facilitate employment authorization for undocumented immigrants and concealing his own illegal hiring practices.
The week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas revealed a pattern of brazen misconduct. Echevarria, tasked with enforcing immigration laws, instead abused his position for personal gain. Between 2012 and 2014, he allegedly agreed to provide employment authorization documents to individuals unlawfully present in the United States in exchange for approximately $75,000 in cash bribes. The scheme didn’t stop there – prosecutors presented evidence that Echevarria also demanded and received sexual favors from one individual as part of the illicit arrangement.
The jury found Echevarria guilty of Counts 1-6 and Counts 8 and 9 of an indictment, including seven counts of accepting bribes, one count of harboring an undocumented immigrant, and one count of making false statements to immigration authorities. He was acquitted on one bribery count (Count 7). To cover his tracks, Echevarria falsely claimed these individuals had been granted temporary protected status – a legal designation reserved for those fleeing disaster or conflict – despite knowing they hadn’t applied or qualified.
The corruption extended to Echevarria’s personal life. He opened a hair salon in West Orange, New Jersey, after receiving approval from his superiors at ICE, certifying it wouldn’t conflict with his duties or involve undocumented workers. This was a lie. Echevarria knowingly employed his girlfriend, an undocumented immigrant who had entered the country illegally using a false identity, to manage the salon. He meticulously concealed her status, signing the lease for her apartment and paying her bills in his name.
Further compounding the charges, Echevarria went to elaborate lengths to hide his girlfriend’s illegal status. He’d previously queried law enforcement databases using her alias, and after opening the salon, paid employees in cash, avoiding any formal employment eligibility paperwork. He even drove his girlfriend and other employees to and from work daily, ensuring their undocumented status remained a secret. This wasn’t just a lapse in judgment; it was a calculated effort to evade the very laws he was sworn to uphold.
Echevarria now faces a significant prison sentence. The six bribery counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges of harboring and making false statements each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited special agents of ICE, Office of Professional Responsibility, for their work on the case. Echevarria’s sentencing is scheduled for June 19, 2017, and the Grimy Times will be there to report on the outcome.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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