A Florida man has been convicted of pretending to be an attorney and filing hundreds of fake immigration applications.
Elvis Harold Reyes, 56, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Tampa federal court to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to court records. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the mail fraud and a mandatory consecutive 2 years for the identity theft.
A sentencing date hasn't been set.
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According to court documents, Reyes owned and operated EHR Ministries Inc. He portrayed himself as an immigration attorney, though he has never had a law license.
Reyes targeted undocumented immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries who were seeking Florida driver licenses and work authorizations.
Reyes gave false, inaccurate and incomplete legal and immigration advice to victims in order to induce them to retain his services and those of EHR Ministries, prosecutors said.
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Reyes filed more than 215 fraudulent applications, with intended losses to victims exceeding $1 million.
