Helaman Hansen, Adult Adoption Fraud, California 2023
California Man Arrested for Adult Adoption Scheme to Defraud Undocumented Immigrants
A California man has been arrested and charged with operating a fraudulent adult-adoption program that targeted undocumented aliens, according to a federal indictment.
Helaman Hansen, 63, of Elk Grove, California, was arrested on January 1, 2023, after a federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, 11 counts of mail fraud, and one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, between October 2012 and January 2016, Hansen and others used various entities, including Americans Helping America (AHA), to sell memberships in a "Migration Program" to immigrant communities. The program promised that immigrant adults could achieve U.S. citizenship by being legally adopted by an American citizen and completing a list of additional tasks.
However, the indictment alleges that no one who completed the program obtained citizenship, despite Hansen being informed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as early as October 2012 that aliens adopted after their sixteenth birthdays could not obtain citizenship in the manner Hansen was promoting.
Hansen and his co-conspirators induced approximately 500 victims to pay more than $500,000 to join the fraudulent program, with membership fees starting at $150 and growing as high as $10,000 per year.
The case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney André M. Espinosa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hansen faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Defendant: Helaman Hansen
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, 11 counts of mail fraud, and one count of wire fraud
City and State: Elk Grove, California
Arrest Date: January 1, 2023
Sentence: Maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine (pending conviction)
Dollar Amounts: $500,000 (amount paid by victims) and $10,000 (highest membership fee)
Victims are encouraged to call the FBI at 916-977-2479.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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