A 32-year-old woman accused of taking thousands of dollars from illegal immigrants by falsely promising to get them rights to U.S. residency appeared in Cook County Criminal Court on Tuesday facing 12 counts of theft by deception.
Juanita Cruz, 4739 S. Leamington Ave., has been charged with taking $800 to $1,500 fees from each of 12 people after falsely saying she could perform legal services on their behalf, authorities said. Cruz was arrested in her home Friday, according to Harrison Area police.
Cruz also was the subject of a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court by the consumer fraud unit of the state`s attorney`s office. The suit, which accuses Cruz of practicing law without a license, seeks a $50,000 fine, a court order prohibiting Cruz from continuing her alleged activities and refunds for anyone cheated.
In the criminal case, Assistant State`s Atty. Donna More said Cruz promised each of the 12 victims ”permanent residency or citizenship documents.” More said Cruz allegedly committed most of the offenses in the predominantly Hispanic Pilsen area between last June and April of this year.
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”She`d get as many victims as she could at one location and then she`d move,” said Detective Lyle May of the Harrison Area. ”The victims would go to her address, and she`d no longer live there.” May said the victims included factory workers, busboys and waiters.
Police became aware of Cruz`s alleged operations on March 20, when a workers` rights organization filed a complaint against her, May said.
An illegal resident had gone to the organization after Cruz allegedly took his money and never gave him the promised documents, May said.
While Cruz was being booked at the police station, ”two more victims walked in and indicated to us that there were many, many victims,” May said. Cruz is free on $1,000 cash bond. She is to return to Criminal Court for a hearing June 12.
The charges against Cruz coincided with Cook County State`s Atty. Richard Daley`s announcement Tuesday of a hot line to collect information about others trying to swindle illegal aliens.
”Based on past experience, we expect some of these people to be the targets of con artists,” Daley said.
Legitimate groups that work with immigrants warn their clients against notaries public who pose as lawyers or immigration ”consultants.”
In many nations, notaries have special legal powers that their U.S. counterparts, who only witness signatures, do not.
Some notaries have been rumored to take advantage of that confusion among immigrants and to charge high fees for promises of certain legalization.
Caroline Shoenberger, director of the consumer fraud unit, said the office is investigating complaints about false claims made by notaries and travel agents in Polish, Chinese and Spanish-speaking communities.
Daley said the hot line also will take information about extortionists who demand payments from illegals in return for keeping quiet about their immigration status.
The beginning of a year-long legalization program for people who have lived in the United States at least five years has created a potential for a boom in unscrupulous operations, Daley said.
He emphasized that callers to the hot line may remain anonymous and that his office is not targeting people who buy documents or seek advice from con artists.
The hot line number is 443-5252.
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has designated dozens of community agencies in Chicago and the suburbs to help aliens file for legalization.
The agencies are authorized to charge a maximum of $75 a client for their services, and INS officials recommend that applicants consult the designated organizations before filing. The Chicago office of the INS maintains a list of the agencies.