A San Diego man has pleaded guilty to running a massive immigration scam that swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from more than 100 victims.
Hardev Panesar, 70, admitted to orchestrating the long-running scheme from 2012 to May 24, 2017, by promising immigrants and aliens that he could secure them legal status in the United States.
Panesar, who impersonated a Department of Homeland Security official, took hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims and repeatedly failed to deliver on his promises. He even went so far as to take fingerprints of his victims and provide them with fake immigration applications.
As part of his plea agreement, Panesar has agreed to pay approximately $2.5 million in restitution to his victims.
Panesar fled to Mexico in June 2018 after he failed to appear in court for a hearing. He was arrested by Mexican authorities two months later and expelled back to the United States, where he has been in custody ever since.
Panesar is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel.
The San Diego Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking potential victims of the crime. If you believe you are a victim, please fill out the questionnaire at https://forms.fbi.gov/SDImmigrationFraud or email the FBI at SDImmigrationFraud@ic.fbi.gov.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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