72-year-old grandmother accused of running green-card marriage scam gets 44-month prison term

Grandmother gets 44 months in green-card scam

DALLAS — A Texas grandmother who acknowledged running a scheme in which her family members married scores of foreigners seeking to stay in the United States was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison.

Maria Refugia Camarillo, 72, her graying hair pulled back in a ponytail, used a walker during her court appearance and sat calmly as she was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison.

Camarillo, of Fort Worth, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents.

Federal prosecutors say Camarillo arranged green card marriages for more than two decades. She recruited her children, nieces, nephews and even her three teenage grandchildren — all U.S. citizens — to wed would-be immigrants. Men and women would pay her up to $12,000 each; once married, clients could obtain a green card and later U.S. citizenship.

Immigration officials are trying to find the foreign spouses. More than a dozen of Camarillo’s family members have been charged in the case.

Camarillo’s attorney told the judge that his client has had a stroke, has a pacemaker and suffers from multiple health problems. He sought home confinement for her, saying a prison term longer than three years would be like a life sentence.

“She knows time is short for her,” said attorney William Zachary.

But federal prosecutors sought a nearly five-year sentence, saying investigators still must find some 170 immigrants who benefited from the scheme.

Court documents said Camarillo would meet the prospective spouse in her office behind her home. During the meeting or soon after, the client would pay half the fee.

The bride and groom Camarillo paired typically would meet for the first time when they applied for a marriage license.

Later, the couples would meet again to pose for photographs in different outfits, creating the illusion of a legitimate marriage that they could show immigration officials.

The couples also would rehearse answers to questions immigration officials would ask during an interview, using scripts that investigators said were provided by Camarillo.