Federal authorities will file charges against the leader of Americans Helping America (AHA) Helaman Hansen who allegedly created a systematic scam that promises U.S. citizenship among undocumented immigrants. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced on Thursday that 13 counts of conspiracy and fraud will be filed.
Reports say that victims have paid as high as $10,000. Hansen's alleged fraud scheme involves adoptions that make parent-child relationships official to aid a disabled adult, WND reported.
Investigation of authorities began when several immigrants from San Francisco, California sued AHA. The plaintiffs allege that the agency collected tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for an "adult adoption" scheme that allegedly provides a pathway to citizenship, KCRA 3 reported.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said that the scheme does not have any effect on the status of adult immigrants but can be hopeful for those who are under 16 years of age. Authorities said that AHA's operations have allegedly scammed at least 500 immigrants across seven states namely: California, Hawaii, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
AHA started selling memberships in the program for $150 and gradually raised the rate as interest in the scheme grew, AP reported.
Wagner encouraged victims to come forward. He noted that the goal of the present investigation is not to deport undocumented immigrants but to indict persons who committed a crime.
"Taking advantage of the hopes and dreams of undocumented immigrants, who are poorly positioned to seek the protection of law enforcement, to extract fees based on false promises, is a particularly predatory and manipulative type of fraud," Wagner said.
In December, FBI authorities raided the AHA headquarters with a warrant. Seemingly unnerved, Hansen welcomed the raid and claimed that a begrudged former employee sparked the investigations. He said that the only goal of AHA is to foster helpfulness among its members and arrange citizenships.
If proven guilty, Hansen is facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Adoptions by AHA has been blocked by courts in Sacramento and Alameda.
