A woman who admitted to scamming people by pretending to work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was sentenced to three years in prison, officials said.
Isabel Pajuelo, 39, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Alexandria. She had pleaded guilty to one count of false personation of a federal employee and one count of wire fraud in June.
When she pleaded guilty, Pajuelo admitted to devising and executing a scheme during 2010 and 2011, in which she told people that she could approve, assist in the approval of or expedite their immigration paperwork for a fee. As part of her plea agreement, Pajuelo has to pay restitutions totaling more than $100,000.
Pajuelo often met with victims at an office space in Alexandria and would take their paperwork, give them a list of fees for “services” and assure them she would assist them.
She gave victims business cards that included the Department of Homeland Security seal and the notation “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,” according to court documents. She also sometimes wore a uniform of blue pants, a blue shirt with “ICE” written on the back, a badge and a pair of handcuffs on her belt.
Pajuelo told victims they would get permanent residency documents within weeks or months. In reality, she didn’t help victims with their immigration statuses and instead kept some or all of the money for her personal use, according to court documents.
Pajuelo’s three-year sentence is within the advisory guidelines range of 33 to 41 months in prison. According to a court document, prosecutors asked the judge to impose a sentence within this range.
The defendant’s lawyer, however, asked for a sentence of no more than two years.
A court document filed by the defense stated that “Ms. Pajuelo’s criminal actions in this case began and ended with her tragic relationship with her second husband.” The man played an active role in creating documents that were part of the scheme and encouraged Pajuelo to engage in conduct that she had not done previously, the defense contended.
A U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman said he was not aware of any charges against Pajuelo’s estranged husband in this case.
In a letter to the judge, Pajuelo wrote that she has asked her three children to forgive her and that her friends have been supportive.
“I started going to church and praying God to forgive me for I have sinned,” she wrote.
