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Manhattan DA charges woman with stealing $25K in immigration fraud scheme
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 15, 2026
Modified Oct 15, 2026
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Chrystofer Davis for Gothamist
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 15, 2026
Modified Oct 15, 2026
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A New Jersey woman has been indicted on charges that she bilked four people out of $25,000 while pretending to be a federal tax agent, an immigrant agent and an immigration services provider.
Edith Capellan, 54, of Bayonne, New Jersey, has been charged in New York State Supreme Court with grand larceny, immigrant assistance services fraud and scheming to defraud, according to court records.
“As alleged, Edith Capellan donned a cloak of legitimacy by impersonating federal agents,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “Our investigation is ongoing – please call us at 212-335-3600 if you may be a victim, regardless of immigration status."
Capellan’s lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Capellan allegedly met with clients in Uptown Manhattan, said Xavier Martinez, chief of the office’s immigrant affairs unit.
Clients allegedly paid Capellan thousands of dollars in upfront fees for help with immigration paperwork that was never delivered. Capellan misrepresented her identity and falsely guaranteed positive results, including permanent residency and citizenship, according to Bragg’s office.
Capellan claimed to have submitted applications on the clients' behalf, but when they followed up, she refused to provide documents, receipt numbers, or other evidence that she had done so, according to Bragg’s office.
Bragg recommended that New Yorkers should generally pause and evaluate the reliability of an individual or institution when approached by purported immigration services providers with overly generous offerings.
He urged further caution when engaged by representatives of companies without brick-and-mortar offices who only want to engage online.
Martinez added that residents can confirm if someone is a registered lawyer in New York using the state’s online directory.
”The general advice is if something feels or sounds too good to be true, just sort of take a beat,” Bragg said.
Bragg added that calls to his office’s immigration affairs hotline have become less frequent in recent months, which he attributes to fear among immigrant communities of engaging with government.
Tagged
Race And Justice Unit
immigration
new jersey
new york city
public safety
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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