He Bilked Local Immigrants With False Promises Of Legal Residency

YONKERS, NY — A carpetbagger who arrived in Westchester to prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community, has admitted to a nefarious scheme to bilk immigrants with the false promise of legal residency.

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that 70-year-old Juan Cedillo, of Olympia, Washington, pleaded guilty Monday morning to felony first-degree scheme to defraud.

According to the DA, Cedillo traveled from Washington State to New York for the purpose of meeting with immigrant families, which included undocumented immigrants, in order to carry out his scheme.

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"This defendant's traveling circus of fraud comes to an end, today," Cacace said. "Mr. Cedillo took advantage of an extremely vulnerable population and ensnared them in his financial trap. This conduct is morally reprehensible, and I am grateful that my office was able to put a stop to his conduct, for good, with this guilty plea."

Between Nov. 2013 and Feb. 2019, Cedillo met with immigrants in Yonkers in order to recruit them into his organization, which served as the vehicle for his fraudulent scheme.

He falsely told the families that they were eligible for U Visas (and potentially legal permanent resident cards), and that he would assist them, if they became members of his organization at a cost of up to $8,000 per family. In addition, Cedillo told them that they had to "recruit" other immigrants into his organization.

However, U Visas are reserved for victims of crime, and Cedillo was never authorized to certify such visas.

As part of his guilty plea, Cedillo will receive a sentence of one to three years in prison, and he will be required to reimburse his victims up to a total of $80,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Yonkers Police Department.