Miriam Mercedes Hernandez of Queens falsely promised to help immigrants secure permanent residency and citizenship
NEW YORK, NY (March 1, 2010) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced his office has won a court judgment of more than $3 million against Miriam Mercedes Hernandez of Queens, who targeted and defrauded immigrants out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by promising to help them obtain legal status and then never doing so. The action is the latest in Attorney General Cuomo’s ongoing investigation into immigration fraud. The judgment is the result of a lawsuit filed by Cuomo in May 2009, claiming Hernandez engaged in fraud and deceptive practices, and violated New York civil rights laws when she falsely promised to assist individuals and families seeking legal status. Hernandez wrongly claimed that she could obtain expedited legal status for people through her alleged relationships with government officials. For her services, Hernandez charged individuals up to $7,500 as an initial fee, and up to $15,000 per person. However, Hernandez never performed the services promised. Wh...