Immigration Consultant Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Fraud

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Shahrzad Eram Soleimanlou, age 59, of Falls Church, Va., was sentenced last week to 41 months in prison for defrauding vulnerable immigrant applicants of approximately $1 million from June 2000 through December 2005. She will also be required to pay approximately $1 million in restitution.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Washington, D.C.; and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing on Sept. 21, 2009.

Soleimanlou pled guilty to mail and wire fraud on May 28, 2009. According to court documents, Soleimanlou made false representations to immigration applicants that money was required to establish a bond or account to show immigration officials that the applicants had the financial ability to support themselves in the United States or that money was required to pay taxes, penalties or fees. She then converted the money—which is believed to be approximately $1 million—to her personal use.

This case was investigated by ICE’s Washington Field Office and FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana J. Boente and Charles Connolly prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

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