SAN DIEGO — A San Diego man has been indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of impersonating a federal agent and defrauding more than 25 people seeking help with immigration.
In a 25 count indictment, San Ysidro resident Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 52, is accused of pretending to be a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and defrauding his victims of tens thousands of dollars.
According to the Department of Justice, Brand Jimenez used his false title to defraud 25 Orange County residents who sought immigration assistance, including Green Cards and U.S. citizenship.
The Justice Department says Brand Jimenez is considered a fugitive after he failed to appear for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty in an unrelated narcotics case.
"Brand Jimenez primarily targeted undocumented members of the Latino community, telling victims he could help them obtain work permits, legal United States residency, and U.S. citizenship," said the Justice Department in a statement.
According to the indictment, Brand Jimenez claimed to be an ICE agent and used a fake ICE badge to defraud his victims, many who were "illegally present" in the United States.
The federal grand jury indictment alleges Brand Jimenez charged each victim between $10,000 and $20,000. Court documents state Brand Jimenez never filed any immigration paperwork for his victims, and fraudulently fabricated documents displaying the emblem of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The indictment charges Brand Jimenez with false impersonation of a federal officer, mail fraud, wire fraud, fraudulent possession and use of U.S. government seals, aggravated identity theft and misusing a U.S. Passport.
If you have any information regarding Brand Jimenez’s current location, the FBI says people should not take action themselves but should immediately call the FBI’s toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov/ or contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-WANTED-2.
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