INS Official Accused of Taking Bribes : Immigration: The top legalization officer in Las Vegas is charged with granting work permits in exchange for cash.

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service’s top legalization officer in Las Vegas has been indicted for allegedly taking $35,000 in bribes from a Los Angeles immigration consultant, officials said Thursday.

Barbara J. Farley was charged with one count of conspiracy and eight counts of bribery in a federal indictment handed up Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Nevada. She is accused of granting work permits to illegal immigrants in exchange for cash bribes from Cesar Condes, an immigration consultant whose Los Angeles-based business helped immigrants prepare applications for amnesty.

“She had final authority on approving applications,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Anthony S. Murry, who is prosecuting the case against Farley. “(Condes) gave her a list of names of people whose applications he was going to file, and she was supposed to look for those names and make sure they were processed.”

If convicted, Farley could face a maximum of five years in prison for the charge of conspiracy and two years in prison for each bribery count. She also faces maximum fines of $250,000 for each of the charges.

Farley is scheduled to be arraigned June 14.

Farley’s attorney, Oscar Goodman, said in a telephone interview Thursday that his client had yet to be officially notified of the indictment. But, Goodman added, “you can be assured she will get as vigorous a defense as anyone can imagine.”

The relationship between Farley and Condes began last July, according to the indictment. Condes, whose business submitted amnesty applications in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles, allegedly met with Farley and paid her $5,000 to approve work authorization applications that he filed with her office.

Over the next two months Condes continued to pay Farley in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, the indictment said. On Sept. 24, the day of the last alleged payment, Condes was arrested in Los Angeles in connection with filing hundreds of fraudulent amnesty applications, according to Murry.

Murry would not say if Condes’ arrest led to an investigation of Farley. Kathy Redman, an official with the INS’ Las Vegas office, said Farley was put on a paid administrative leave in September pending the outcome of an investigation into whether she accepted bribes.

Robert Moschorak, director of the Los Angeles INS district office, said he did not feel the indictment indicated a pattern of corruption in the agency. Instead, he said, the indictment follows a “crackdown (on amnesty fraud) that’s been pursued by INS offices throughout the West and we’re continuing with our investigations.”

Condes’ arrest led to raids on the offices of several Las Vegas immigration consultants believed to have had ties to his operation. Condes eventually pleaded guilty to four of 11 criminal counts, said Murry, and in a plea agreement agreed to testify for the government in future proceedings.

Murry would not say if Condes is going to testify against Farley.

Condes formerly worked for the publicity branch of the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles, according to consulate officials. One employee who knew him but did not want to be identified said Condes began his immigration consultation business after he resigned from the consulate in 1985.

“He was a nice guy,” the man said. “He was just trying to help the Filipino (immigrants) stay here.”