A Houston man has been indicted on charges related to a scheme targeting immigrants with false promises of legal status. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the federal court appearance of Jesus Carlos Silva, 57, who faces charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.

Silva appeared before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Ho following an indictment filed on December 17. The document outlines allegations that Silva conducted a fraudulent operation from March 2022 until December 2024, during which he purportedly promised immigrants assistance in obtaining U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status.

The indictment accuses Silva of misrepresenting himself as an immigration attorney associated with a Houston law firm, despite not holding such credentials. Allegedly, he convinced victims to pay substantial sums ranging from $7,000 to $15,000 by falsely claiming he could secure their legal status through supposed contacts at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

According to the charges, Silva failed to deliver any legitimate services or results regarding immigration applications and eventually ceased communication with his clients after offering various excuses for the lack of progress. Victims were reportedly instructed to attend fictitious USCIS appointments in Houston where no meetings had been arranged.

If found guilty, Silva could face up to 20 years in federal prison along with a potential fine of $250,000.

The FBI led the investigation into the case with support from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Feinstein and Rodolfo Ramirez are handling prosecution duties.

It is important to note that an indictment is a formal charge and not proof of guilt; all defendants are considered innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.