LOS ANGELES – Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that Oswaldo Rafael Cabrera, the owner and operator of a Los Angeles-based business known as the Coalición Latinoamericana Internacional (CLI), was sentenced to five years and two months in state prison after pleading guilty to felony charges involving grand theft, attempted perjury and conspiracy to violate the Immigration Consultants Act.  Cabrera's wife, Maria Marcelina Rodas, was sentenced to three years of felony probation for charges that she conspired to violate the Immigration Consultants Act.

“Taking advantage of the most vulnerable is reprehensible,” said Attorney General Becerra.  “Today's sentencing puts on notice others who may want to carry out these crimes, and lets hardworking immigrant families know that our office has got their backs. I'd like to thank Deputy Attorneys General Angela Rosenau and Marisol León in our Los Angeles and San Diego offices for their tremendous work on behalf of innocent families.”

In December 2016, the Attorney General's Office filed criminal charges and obtained arrest warrants against Cabrera and Rodas. The criminal complaint charged Cabrera with 22 felony counts including grand theft, attempted perjury and conspiracy to engage in the unlawful practice of law. The Attorney General's Office also charged Cabrera and Rodas with conspiracy to commit violations of the Immigration Consultants Act.

After filing the initial complaint, additional victims came forward, and on February 14, 2017, the Attorney General's Office filed an amended complaint alleging 36 felony counts and two sentence enhancements.

This case has been a collaborative effort involving prosecutors and special agents from the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, and investigators from the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.

The Attorney General strongly encourages victims and others with information concerning immigration services fraud to file complaints with our office. Complaints can be filed through our web page:

http://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company or by calling by calling our office at 1 (800) 952-5225. Complaints may be filed anonymously.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra / Wednesday, February 22, 2017