FAYETTEVILLE -- A Little Rock woman is facing federal charges after prosecutors said she defrauded illegal immigrants seeking legal resident status out of more than $100,000.
Victims include a mother and daughter and several others from Springdale.
Wendy Reconco Espinoza, 31, is charged with one count of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud. Trial will be set at a later date in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. A judge ordered Espinoza jailed while awaiting trial.
Court documents state Espinoza posed as a secretary or assistant to fictitious immigration lawyers "Jessie Gallo" and "Christopher Yang." Espinoza would contact people who were in the country illegally and tell them she could obtain the documentation necessary to start their naturalization process.
Espinoza would request victims send her documentation and money to start the process. The money deposited in bank accounts would be immediately withdrawn.
Espinoza provided fake Social Security and immigration documents to the mother and daughter and other victims in order to convince them to send more money, according to court documents. Espinoza and her co-conspirators would pressure victims to send them thousands of dollars for services that were never performed or nonexistent fines, fees and costs.
One victim sent Espinoza almost $50,000 in hopes of bringing his wife into the country legally. Another family lost more than $35,000 in the scheme.
Espinoza pressured victims and relied on a "strong spiritual influence" to keep the money rolling in, according to court documents.
In several cases, other family members of initial victims were also pulled into the scheme.
The names of victims in the case are redacted in court documents.
Espinoza was arrested by federal agents in July.
NW News on 08/07/2014