Fraudster Pretends to Be Officer, Scams Immigrants

0:00It's April 23rd. You're listening to Dallas News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. A 29-year-old woman from Brownsville, Texas, named May Ra Collins, just got hit with federal charges for running a visa fraud scam. She's accused of posing as a government agent to rip people off, promising quit visas and fake job offers in exchange for cash. Prosecutors nailed her with two counts of wire fraud and three for impersonating a federal officer, and if convicted, she could face more than 20 years behind bars. This all started back in 2022 when Collins allegedly pretended to be an immigration officer. She told victims she could speed up their visa process for an extra fee, then pocketed the money from at least four people. Fast forward to this year, and she switched it up, acting like a Border Patrol agent recruiting new hires and conning folks into sending cash for, uniforms and gear. Things got burned hard, losing their hard earned money on bogus promises during a time

1:00when immigration paperwork already feels like a nightmare. These schemes prey on desperate dreams of a better life in the U.S., hitting families who can't afford the setback. Law enforcement says this kind of fraud is on the rise in border areas like South Texas. Federal investigators built a solid case through victim reports and financial trails, leading to her indictment by a grand jury in Corpus Christi. She's out on bond now, but the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Texas is pushing hard to make an example of her. Schemes like this remind us to double check anyone flashing badges or big promises. Stay sharp out there, and we'll keep watching how this plays out in court.