Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
A federal grand jury has indicted Carlos Adolfo Haeckermann Cardenas, a resident of Doral, Florida, on charges related to aiding and abetting false statements on asylum applications. The indictment was filed on November 13, 2024, and unsealed on January 23, 2025.
Haeckermann is accused of presenting himself as an individual who could assist others in applying for immigration documents and benefits, including asylum. Between 2019 and 2021, he allegedly submitted or helped submit over 100 asylum applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), charging clients thousands of dollars for his services. Some of these clients resided in the Northern District of California.
The indictment claims that Haeckermann would draft personal statements for his clients that included stories of political persecution to support their asylum claims. These statements reportedly contained false and embellished details aimed at increasing the likelihood of obtaining asylum.
Haeckermann's practice involved sending completed applications back to clients for signing and submission rather than listing himself as a third-party preparer. He also allegedly solicited additional payments from clients for falsified documents purportedly needed to support their claims.
Haeckermann made his initial court appearance in San Francisco on January 22, 2025. His next appearance is scheduled for March 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Jeff Rusinek from the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service Criminal Fraud Investigations Branch announced the indictment.
It is important to note that an indictment only alleges crimes have been committed; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Haeckermann faces up to ten years in prison per count and a maximum fine of $250,000 per count. Sentencing would be determined by the court following consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant federal statutes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is leading the prosecution with contributions from DSS and USCIS investigations along with assistance from USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.
