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OREM — An Orem tax preparer has been falsely representing himself as a paralegal and taking money from people looking to immigrate into the United States, according to investigators.
Oscar Adan Flores, 64, was charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony; communications fraud and three counts of forgery, all third-degree felonies.
According to charging documents, the Utah Attorney General's Office received a request from Orem police last year to help investigate multiple complaints that detectives had received against Flores.
"Two complainants informed law enforcement that they had been referred to Flores for assistance in the immigration process," the charges state. "(Flores) held himself out as a paralegal who could assist them in obtaining lawful status within the United States."
The alleged victims wrote checks to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that totaled more than $2,000, and gave them to Flores to handle, according to the charges. The checks, however, were not cashed. Flores is listed as a registered tax preparer in Orem.
"Flores eventually told them the checks needed to be authored from his business account and not the complainant's personal account. Complainants provided the funds to Flores so he could author the checks from his business account," the charges state.
He then provided the victims with updates on their application status, purportedly sent by the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that allegedly included receipts.
"Law enforcement conducted a records check with those provided receipt/confirmation numbers" and did not find receipts for the victims filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to the charges.
Flores was located Wednesday by authorities and arrested. When questioned, he "admitted taking money" from the two victims "but not concluding the application process with U.S. Immigration," a police booking affidavit states.
When asked about the receipts and documentation allegedly sent by immigration services, "Flores became quiet and exercised his rights not to answer," the affidavit states.
