Five people have been charged with conspiracy for allegedly staging fake robberies and a carjacking in an attempt to obtain special immigration visas, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors identified the suspects as San Francisco residents Rickson Ivan Rodriguez-Contreras, 32, and Victor Cano-Ruiz, 46, and Redwood City residents Huritzy Gomez-Quiroz, 47; Ramon Ramirez-Mendez, 45; and Orbelina Carranza-Quintanilla, 44.
The alleged scheme occurred Sept. 16 in Daly City and Redwood City, according to San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe. Court documents say Rodriguez-Contreras staged a mugging of Gomez-Quiroz at a Wells Fargo ATM in Serramonte Center, which she and her husband, Ramirez-Mendez, reported to police.
The same day, Rodriguez-Contreras allegedly staged a robbery and carjacking targeting Carranza-Quintanilla at a Wells Fargo on Woodside Road in Redwood City, which she reported to police.
Police became suspicious of the claims and uncovered an alleged conspiracy, prosecutors said.
“The fraud committed by the five defendants in this case is particularly evil in taking advantage of the highly tense environment presently surrounding immigration rules and the fears of deportation,” Wagstaffe said.
The charges come as fears have rippled across the city’s immigrant communities over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that may ramp up under White House policy.
So-called U visas allow victims of certain crimes to remain in the U.S. for four years without immigrant status, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. Notably, robbery and carjacking are not among the qualifying crimes. The visas are for victims who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or officials during investigations or prosecutions.
State and city officials have responded so far to President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration with lawsuits and shows of solidarity after ICE agents visited janitors working in downtown offices.
The defendants face felony conspiracy charges. Gomez-Quiroz and Ramirez-Mendez are also charged with felony false crime reporting, while Carranza-Quintanilla faces a misdemeanor false reporting charge.
Rodriguez-Contreras, Cano-Ruiz, and Carranza-Quintanilla were released on their own recognizance. Gomez-Quiroz and Ramirez-Mendez posted $50,000 bail bonds.
A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 13.