Miami authorities charged a pastor of a Spanish-speaking church and an accomplice in what appears to be a fraudulent immigration service scheme after they allegedly defrauded over a dozen victims.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) announced the Thursday arrests of Nelson David Ochoa-Vasquez, 46, and Ismer Gonzalez, 44, on charges of organized fraud and grand theft, and an additional charge of practicing law without a license for Gonzalez.
Officials said a preliminary investigation revealed that Ochoa-Vasquez, pastor of La Iglesia de Dios Jireh, allegedly “used his position to introduce unsuspecting victims” seeking legal advice to set them up with Gonzalez, who allegedly “claimed to be an immigration attorney” without actually being one.
The alleged victims paid an approximate sum of $21,000 for legal services, MDSO stated.
Authorities allege that none of the offered services, including help obtaining work permits and driver’s licenses, were ever provided.
Investigators have already found at least 16 victims allegedly targeted by the pair between April 2024 and January 2025, but suspect that additional victims will come forward, WSVN reported.
The local outlet noted that Gonzalez has two outstanding warrants in North Carolina for the same crimes, and Ochoa-Vasquez is ironically on immigration hold himself.
Both men are facing second-degree felony charges and are being held without bail pending a Nebbia hearing, where they will have to prove that bail money did not come from illegal sources.
