FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TUESDAY - September 13, 2011
MAN CHARGED AND ARRESTED
FOR IMPERSONATING A FEDERAL AGENT AND
ENGAGING IN IMMIGRATION SERVICES SCAM
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that a criminal complaint was unsealed today that charged a Raleigh man, TOMMIE RAND PIERCE, 68, with federal crimes. PIERCE has been charged with falsely assuming and pretending to be an officer acting under the authority of the United States and, in that capacity, demanding and obtaining money. Additionally, PIERCE has been charged with failing to disclose, concealing, and covering up the fact that he, in exchange for money, prepared and assisted in the preparation of immigration applications which were falsely made.
According to the criminal complaint, PIERCE defrauded an unknown number of aliens and/or businesses by leading them to believe he was a federal agent with the appropriate authority within Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain approval of immigration applications for which the applicants were otherwise ineligible to obtain a benefit. In exchange for monetary payments, PIERCE prepared and/or filed fraudulent immigration applications on behalf of illegal aliens. To date, the investigation has revealed more than 265 fraudulent immigration applications filed by PIERCE and/or his assistants.
“Impersonating a federal agent is a serious crime that can undermine public trust,” said Brock Nicholson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. “ICE HSI will continue to aggressively pursue and criminally charge individuals who misrepresent themselves as federal officials in an attempt to take advantage of others for their own financial gain.”
The document contains allegations that the defendant has committed crimes. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Investigation of this case was conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Raleigh, North Carolina and ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Ogden, Utah. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina provided valuable support in this investigation.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
