Fake immigration attorney used Florida ‘ministry’ in scam targeting undocumented people
Elvis Reyes claimed to be a pastor with EHR Ministries in the Tampa-area town of Brandon. Reyes claimed to be an immigration attorney and filed more than 230 applications for asylum and Convention Against Torture claims for undocumented immigrants.
Reyes might be a pastor, definitely isn’t an immigration attorney and definitely will be a federal prisoner after pleading guilty Tuesday in Tampa federal court to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. The 56-year-old’s sentencing date hasn’t been determined.
As Reyes’ guilty plea admitted, his “client victims, for the most part, lacked higher education, were unfamiliar with the U.S. laws and U.S. immigration system, lacked English-language skills and had no legal status in the United States.”
In other words, perfect victims for this 56-year-old who has never been any kind of attorney in the state of Florida. He charged each person $5,000 and managed to rip off $265,627. The accounting came easier because Reyes left a paper trail.
“Most clients paid half (the $5,000) up front and the balance in installments,” the plea said. “Reyes issued detailed receipts for payments made and aggressively collected unpaid balances. He took payment by cash, check or credit card, depositing the monies directly into his personal accounts or accounts associated with EHR Ministries (Elvis Harold Reyes).”
Lies on paper
Reyes’ victims came to him via word of mouth, social media or believing the non-profit EHR Ministries had their best interests at heart. They most often wanted driver licenses and work authorization.
He’d have them sign blank I-589 forms, the form used to apply for asylum, or blank pieces of paper. Then, Reyes would check the boxes that stated the applicant wanted protection from torture and concocted tales of peril such as “drug lords tried to take my wife and kill me.”
Some of Reyes’ victims actually got the driver licenses and temporary work authorizations they wanted.
“But Reyes never informed his client-victims that a denied I-589 petition would result in immediate immigration removal proceedings,” the guilty plea states. “Most also did not know they would have to travel to Miami to be interviewed in order to substantiate their asylum/CAT protection claim.”
If anybody knows of anyone who has been a Reyes victim, that person can call 866-347-2423 or go to the Homeland Security Investigations tip website.
