District Court Chief Judge Wilma A. Lewis on Friday sentenced Miguel Esperanza-Vasquez to 24 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
Lewis ordered the 60-year-old Esperanza-Vasquez to pay restitution in the amount of $27,120 and a $100 special assessment fee.
On Feb. 11, Esperanza-Vasquez pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement filed with the court, Esperanza-Vasquez had no connection with any law enforcement or administrative agency concerned with immigration matters, yet he held himself out to be in a position to materially influence whether an undocumented immigrant could remain in the United States.
As part of a scheme to defraud, Esperanza-Vazquez used his purported position to obtain money from the undocumented immigrant that he was not entitled to receive.
Specifically on May 12, 2013, as part of this scheme, Esperanza-Vazquez caused a Western Union money order to be sent by wire in interstate commerce from Houston to St. Croix.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
