Sellers of False Residency Permits Sentenced to Prison

The leaders of a ring that sold counterfeit residency permits to hundreds of unsuspecting immigrants for as much as $10,000 each have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms.

Don Thomas Banzon, 47, of Los Angeles was sentenced to seven years and three months behind bars Monday by U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson.

Jose Mendoza de la Merced, 44, of La Habra was sentenced by Wilson last week to nine years in prison.

Authorities said the ring took in more than $11 million before members were arrested.

Both men pleaded guilty in November to smuggling, making false statements to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, counterfeiting INS documents, money laundering and mail fraud.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Eileen Decker said that in 1995 Merced and Banzon formed an immigration business that operated under a variety of names, including Merced & Associates; Law Offices of Wang and Associates, and Law Offices of Eaton & Friedman. Neither defendant is a licensed lawyer in California.

Through recruiters and word-of-mouth, many victims were led to believe that Merced and Banzon could arrange for the INS to stamp their passports with temporary proof of legal residency--essentially a “green card.”

As part of the scheme, Merced, Banzon or an associate would take a victim to the INS offices in downtown Los Angeles and walk them through the first step of the application process that required a $130 filing fee.

The form was never actually submitted to the INS, but the victims were conned into believing that they had gone through the process that would result in their getting temporary residency permits.

Merced and Banzon or their confederates would then relieve the victim of his passport and return it in a few weeks bearing what authorities said was a counterfeit residency permit stamped inside.

Two other ring members were sentenced earlier to 30 months in prison. Five others were convicted and are awaiting sentencing. One defendant is a fugitive.

“These defendants targeted a vulnerable immigrant community and they deserved the severe punishment they received,” U.S. Atty. Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement after Merced and Banzon were sentenced.