A Foxborough man faces new federal charges for allegedly impersonating a immigration officer and taking money from victims.
A Foxborough man is back in federal court after authorities allege he again impersonated a federal immigration officer to carry out a scam targeting immigrants.
Francisco Soares, 56, was arrested on April 30 and faces new charges connected to an alleged scheme in which he told multiple Brazilian nationals that he worked for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and could help them obtain citizenship in exchange for payment, according to Misryoum.
Prosecutors say Soares is not a federal employee and that the alleged victims paid thousands of dollars. Misryoum reports that the complaint characterizes the case as a financial fraud tied to immigration-related promises.
This matters because scams that borrow the credibility of government immigration roles can cause serious harm beyond the loss of money, including stress for families navigating real immigration processes.
The new case also highlights Soares’ prior conviction. Misryoum reports that about a decade ago, in 2015, he was convicted of impersonating a federal officer after prosecutors said he posed as an employee of ICE and offered to clean immigrants’ records and help secure a green card for payments.
In that earlier case, Misryoum says he received probation and home confinement, was fined, and was ordered to pay restitution. Authorities now allege the latest misconduct followed a similar pattern.
After appearing in Boston federal court for the new matter, Misryoum reports that Soares was released under conditions while the case proceeds. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison, according to prosecutors.
For communities and advocates, the repeated nature of the allegations underscores how important it is for people to verify claims about immigration services before paying anyone, especially when promises are tied to “inside” access.