Man Arrested in Amnesty Case

A Gardena bank employee from Peru has been arrested on amnesty fraud charges in the first federal indictment in Los Angeles under the new immigration control law.

Florencio Marroquin, 44, a vault teller at Great Western Bank, is accused in a grand jury indictment of misrepresenting his length of residence in the United States in an application for amnesty.

Under the new immigration law, illegal aliens who have been in the United States since Jan. 1, 1982, are eligible to apply for amnesty if they have not been absent from the country during that time for more than a total of 180 days, or for more than 45 days at one time.

According to federal prosecutors, Marroquin, a Torrance resident, stated that he had been out of the country for no more than 57 days, when he had actually been gone “well in excess” of that time, and on at least one occasion, for more than 45 days.

“The Immigration Reform and Control Act conveys a tremendous benefit--legal status in the United States--to those who are eligible under the law. Those individuals are encouraged to apply for amnesty,” U.S. Atty. Robert C. Bonner said in a statement announcing the indictment.

“However, the act does not confer legal status on everyone. Aliens who are not eligible and who deliberately lie on their applications to mislead the INS will be prosecuted,” Bonner said.

Deputy federal public defender John Martin said Marroquin had been employed in the United States for the last six years and had been promoted to a position in the bank’s new accounts department on the day he was interviewed by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents about his amnesty application.

U.S. Magistrate Ralph J. Geffen ordered Marroquin released on $5,000 bond and scheduled his initial arraignment for Monday.