A federal grand jury in Florida indicted 13 individuals, including citizens of Cuba and Brazil, for their alleged involvement in a immigration fraud scheme linked to a company in Orlando that has been under investigation since April for raising over 20 million dollars through purported legal services provided to immigrants.
The federal indictment, filed on October 21 in the Federal Court for the Middle District of Florida, includes 11 counts related to electronic fraud, immigration documentation, hiring workers without work authorization, and fraudulent marriages.
For its part, the American media FOX 35 Orlando reported this Monday that among the 13 accused are citizens of Cuba and Brazil, a detail that is not broken down by nationality in the judicial accusation.
The investigation focuses on Legacy Imigra Solutions LLC, also known as Legacy Group, a company based in Orlando that portrayed itself as a firm specializing in immigration advice and processing.
According to the prosecutors, the company was owned by Vagner Soares de Almeida, who managed its operations. Juliana Colucci worked at the company, along with other employees who held positions in sales, administration, and processing asylum applications.
The accusation claims that, between August 2023 and April 2026, those responsible for Legacy provided false, inaccurate, or incomplete immigration advice to persuade individuals interested in regularizing their status to hire their services.
The company allegedly advertised itself as a professional establishment with experts and lawyers capable of preparing documents and applications to obtain immigration benefits in the United States.
Researchers indicate that Legacy was particularly seeking Brazilian clients through ads on social media, websites, and messaging services. The advertising was disseminated in Portuguese and Spanish.
Once their services were contracted, the accused allegedly prepared documentation with false statements to present to U.S. immigration authorities.
The report also describes a practice used to monitor customer communications: the creation of email accounts in the names of those individuals and the use of postal addresses linked to Legacy to receive notifications and official documents.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the company allegedly withheld documents and immigration benefits until clients paid additional fees. The payments ended up in bank accounts controlled by De Almeida.
The accusation identifies Vagner Soares de Almeida, Juliana Colucci, Lucas Felipe Trinidade Silva, Nathalia de Costa Ferreira, Ronaldo de Campos, Erick Bruno Goncalves de Assis Pinto, Ronay Castillo Salazar, Kelen Cristina da Silva, Rebecca Aldama Garcia, Mijail Cabrera Nunez, Issac Antonio Narvaez, Nathalia Gomes Ciriaco, and Lorraine Soares Oliveira.
The charges vary according to the involvement attributed to each person. Eight defendants are listed in the alleged conspiracy of electronic fraud directly related to the operations of Legacy Imigra.
The file also includes two counts of electronic fraud related to transfers made through Zelle: one for $1,000 on December 30, 2024, and another for $374.58 on January 21, 2025, both directed to De Almeida.
Prosecutors attribute to the same group of eight individuals alleged conspiracies related to false immigration documentation, including an asylum application using form I-589, an I-914 application, a temporary H-1B employment petition, and documentation related to a labor certification for the EB-3 category.
Another charge points to De Almeida, Colucci, Lucas Felipe Trinidade Silva, and Ronaldo de Campos for an alleged repeated practice of hiring workers who, according to the accusation, lacked authorization to work in the United States.
The Prosecutor's Office also describes three alleged agreements to arrange marriages with the aim of obtaining improper immigration benefits.
One of those cases involves Juliana Colucci, Issac Antonio Narvaez, and Ronay Castillo Salazar. Another includes De Almeida, Narvaez, and Rebecca Aldama Garcia.
A third case mentions Narvaez, Mijail Cabrera Nunez, and Lorraine Soares Oliveira. According to the prosecutors, the marriages were intended to facilitate the acquisition of permanent residency for individuals who did not meet the legal requirements.
The accusation also requests the possible confiscation of money and assets linked to the alleged crimes, provided that the relevant legal conditions are met and the appropriate convictions are obtained.
FOX 35 Orlando reported that some defendants could face penalties of up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, depending on the charges they are prosecuted and convicted for.
The case had already prompted a police operation months earlier. On April 23, the authorities of Orange County announced the arrest of four individuals linked to Legacy Imigra: De Almeida, Colucci, Lucas Felipe Trinidade Silva, and Ronaldo de Campos.
In that investigation, Sheriff John Mina reported that the company had economically exploited immigrants, mainly Brazilians, who were seeking to obtain legal status in the United States.
The Sheriff's Office then estimated that Legacy had raised more than 20 million dollars in approximately three years.
Authorities had identified affected individuals in Florida, South Carolina, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Some reported individual losses ranging from $2,500 to $26,000.
According to the investigation released in April, the agency allegedly withheld immigration documents and demanded additional payments for their delivery. Some clients were afraid to report what happened due to their immigration status.
The state investigation was conducted with the participation of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Attorney General's Office.
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