Houston Man Indicted for Defrauding Immigrants in Citizenship Scam

A 57-year-old Houston man, Jesus Carlos Silva, has appeared in federal court on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Silva made his initial appearance before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m. following an indictment filed on December 17.

The indictment alleges that from March 2022 to December 2024, Silva operated a scheme targeting immigrants, falsely promising to help them obtain U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status. Silva, who is not an attorney, allegedly posed as an immigration attorney affiliated with a Houston-based law firm to gain the trust of his victims.

According to the charges, Silva misled victims—most of whom lacked legal immigration status—by claiming he could secure their citizenship or legal status, often citing a supposed close contact at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to expedite the process. He allegedly charged victims between $7,000 and $15,000 each.

The indictment further claims Silva failed to provide any legitimate assistance, instead offering excuses for delays and eventually cutting off communications. He allegedly instructed victims to travel to Houston for fictitious USCIS appointments, which they discovered were never scheduled.

If convicted, Silva faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Feinstein and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case.