Amnesty Fraud Nets Sentence

An El Centro farm labor contractor was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Tuesday for his role in what officials have called one of the largest immigration fraud schemes ever.

Carlos Duran-Davilla, 52, pleaded guilty May 22 to a felony charge of supplying false amnesty affidavits to illegal aliens. Assistant U.S. Atty. John R. Kraemer said the scheme involved 979 false affidavits sold to aliens in Imperial County for as much as $1,300 each in 1988 and 1989.

Officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service became suspicious when aliens holding Duran-Davilla’s affidavits applied for amnesty throughout Imperial County, Kraemer said. Two undercover INS agents bought affidavits from Duran-Davilla in a sting that led to his Duran-Davilla’s arrest, Kraemer said.

U. S. District Judge William B. Enright also fined Duran-Davilla $28,000. Kraemer said he had sought a three-year prison term.