Rosa Blake, a New Jersey woman living in Kearny, was indicted last week for allegedly defrauding immigrants by falsely holding herself out as an immigration official with the authority to provide immigration documents to immigrants. Blake was allegedly charging her “clients” hefty fees promising to provide approval or speed up approval time of the victims’ immigration paperwork, including green cards and employment authorization documents. On some occasions, prosecutors say, she would meet her victims wearing what appeared to be federal credentials around her neck.
According to the Indictment, Blake threatened to “deport” some victims who had called to find out about the status of their cases and complained.
Ms. Blake is charged with six counts of wire fraud and eight counts of false impersonation of a government official. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while each count of false impersonation carries a statutory maximum of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
