2 accused of selling fake immigration documents in Las Vegas area

Two suspects are facing charges for allegedly defrauding victims of thousands of dollars by selling them fake immigration documents, according to the Nevada Attorney General's Office.

Court records show that arrest warrants for Las Vegan Ernesto Gerardo Fernandez-Carranza, 33, and Alicia Herrera, 53, of Oakland, Calif., where issued Wednesday.

This comes the same day a Clark County grand jury indicted them on multiple felony charges of theft, possession or sale of document or personal identifying information to establish false status or identity, and multiple transactions involving fraud or deceit in the course of an enterprise or occupation, officials said.

In 2014, Fernandez-Carranza and Herrera took at least $3,500 from at least two victims in Clark County in exchange for documents, which would supposedly allow them to legally reside and work in the United States, the victims believed to be authentic, officials said. Those documents included visas.

“Our immigrant community should be protected from exploitation by unscrupulous fraudsters,” Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt said in a news release. “My office will continue to safeguard the integrity of the legal immigration system and prosecute those seeking to undermine it.”

The case was investigated by state and federal officials, Laxalt’s office said.

Those seeking legal assistance with immigration-related matters should use licensed attorneys or accredited representatives and recognized organizations, officials said.