A Houston resident has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a fraudulent immigration scheme that stole nearly $1.5 million from more than 100 people. Jesus Carlos Silva, 58, pleaded guilty on July 9, 2025, to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud by making false promises of legal status.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks ordered Silva to serve 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. According to the court proceedings, Silva falsely claimed he could help individuals obtain U.S. citizenship or other legal immigration status within a year. He targeted people at churches and collected payments ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 per person but did not provide any legitimate services.
Between March 2022 and December 2024, Silva posed as an immigration attorney associated with a Houston-based law firm and charged thousands of dollars for supposed assistance. He accepted checks and money orders but failed to deliver any actual immigration help, eventually ceasing communication with his victims.
Silva also arranged for several individuals to travel to Houston for what they believed were appointments with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; these appointments did not exist.
He admitted to stealing over $1,450,555 from residents in Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, and Florida.
Silva was allowed to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The case was investigated by the FBI with support from the U.S. Marshals Service and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, headquartered in Houston, is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes such as this one across its jurisdiction that covers 43 counties from Houston down to the Mexican border and serves more than nine million people. The office partners with agencies including the FBI and local police departments during investigations (source). The U.S. Attorney's Office employs over 200 attorneys who handle both criminal prosecutions and civil cases on behalf of the government (official website). It is part of the Department of Justice under the Attorney General (official website).
"Jesus Carlos Silva pleaded guilty July 9, 2025, to defrauding individuals with false promises of legal status."
"U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Silva to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Silva made false promises that he could help people obtain U.S. citizenship and/or other legal immigration status in under a year. The court also heard how Silva recruited individuals at churches and obtained payments between $10,000-15,000 yet offered nothing in return."
"From March 2022 through December 2024, Silva pretended to be an immigration attorney affiliated with a Houston-based law firm. He charged thousands of dollars per person for his “assistance,” collecting payments through checks and money orders. He never provided legitimate immigration help and made excuses for delays before ultimately cutting off communication."
"As part of the scheme, Silva also instructed several individuals to travel to Houston for what they thought were appointments with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. However, once they arrived, there were no such appointments."
"He admitted to stealing more than $1,450,555 from over 100 people living in Texas, Illinois, Louisiana and Florida."
"He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future."
"The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case."
