Leader of Multi-Million Dollar Immigration Fraud Scheme Pleads Guilty

SAN DIEGO – Hardev Panesar pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he orchestrated a long-running immigration-fraud scheme that tricked more than 100 victims out of millions of dollars based on false claims that they could secure immigration status in the United States.

Panesar pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel to all counts, including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, four counts of false impersonation of a federal officer, and one count of structuring financial transactions.  Panesar also pleaded guilty to a separate count of failing to appear in court, resulting from his decision “jump bail” and flee to Mexico in June 2018, where he remained a fugitive for two months.     

According to his plea agreement, Panesar admitted that from at least 2012 through May 24, 2017, he defrauded immigrants and aliens by inducing them to pay money to him based on fraudulent claims that he and his co-conspirators could obtain legal status in the United States for the victims and their families.  Panesar managed to defraud the victims by, in part, impersonating an official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and claiming that he had the power to stop deportation proceedings.  To trick his victims, Panesar repeatedly showed fake agency credentials, provided immigration applications, and took fingerprints of victims. He often demanded more money to speed up the process or guarantee the immigration documents by a certain date. Panesar and his co-conspirators never delivered on their promise to provide immigration documents, despite collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims. As part of the plea agreement, Panesar agreed to pay approximately $2.5 million in restitution to his many victims.

Panesar also admitted that on June 21, 2018, he fled to Tijuana, Mexico, the day before a hearing scheduled in this case. Panesar remained a fugitive, hiding in Mexico, until August 13, 2018, when he was arrested by Mexican authorities and expelled back to the United States.  Panesar has been in custody ever since, pending trial.

Panesar is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Curiel.  Rafael Hastie, one of Panesar co-conspirators, was sentenced to 46 months in custody on January 4, 2019.  

The investigation into this case continues. The San Diego Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking possible victims in this investigation from 2000 through 2017.   If you believe you are a potential victim of this crime, please fill out the questionnaire at https://forms.fbi.gov/SDImmigrationFraud or email the FBI at SDImmigrationFraud@ic.fbi.gov.

DEFENDANT                                 

Hardev PANESAR                             Age: 70

SUMMARY OF CHARGES (17CR1371-GPC)

Count 1: 18 U.S.C. § 1349, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Maximum Penalty 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture, restitution

Counts 2-4: 18 U.S.C. § 1343, Wire Fraud; Maximum Penalty 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture, restitution

Counts 5-8: 18 U.S.C. § 912, False Personation of an Officer or Employee of the United States; Maximum Penalty 3 years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture, restitution

Count 11: 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3), Structuring at Domestic Financial Institutions; Maximum Penalty 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture

SUMMARY OF CHARGES (18CR3229-GPC)

Count 1: 18 U.S.C. § 3146(a)(1), Failure to Appear

AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation