A Miami man skipped the country after selling fraudulent residency filings for immigrants
What do you do when you’ve been busted selling fraudulent applications for immigrants trying to become permanent U.S. residents? Doral’s Mario Henry Garcia, a U.S. citizen, grabbed Peruvian travel documents and skedaddled through Central America.
Garcia was declared a fugitive when he didn’t show up for his Feb. 1 arraignment in Miami federal court. He did show up in Panama on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Unfortunately for Garcia, the law enforcement officers awaiting him as he got off his flight from Costa Rica weren’t holding flowers, chocolates or little teddy bears.
Garcia, 65, has pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, misuse of visas and other documents and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentencing is set for June 14.
Sponsor lies
You could go to Garcia’s Mar Financial in Miami Springs for tax preparation, divorce or immigration needs. As part of that third part, Garcia would help file a form I-485, an application for an immigrant to become a legal permanent resident.
“Often, those clients would have to provide an Affidavit of Financial Support (form I-864) from a financial sponsor guaranteeing to support the applicant while they were in the United States,” Garcia’s guilty plea admission says. “When a client didn’t have anyone to act as their financial sponsor, [Garcia] would steal the personal identifying information and supporting documents of a sponsor for a prior legitimate application without in the sponsor’s knowledge or consent, in exchange for a fee.”
Garcia did this at least seven times in 2018 and 2019, using the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of four sponsors.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Miami office handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne handled the prosecution.
