Not only did he deceive asylum seekers, immigrant visas, and legal permanent residency cards, but he also misled U.S. authorities. This is about José Gregorio Sosa Cardona, the fake Venezuelan lawyer facing immigration fraud charges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. He was arrested on March 10 and had a detention hearing on March 12, 2025.
Sosa Cardona, through his company Delta Global Solutions Inc. located in the Chicago suburbs, promised to obtain various documents he was not legally authorized to process. The services he provided to foreign clients were based on false and fraudulent information presented to U.S. authorities to gain the immigration benefits he offered.
Sosa Cardona’s fraudulent activities took place between 2020 and 2024, during which he conspired with two employees of his company and others to illegally process immigration benefits for foreigners seeking legal status in the U.S. through the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
During the preliminary hearing, the prosecution stated that Sosa reported earnings exceeding USD 1,000,000 in 2023 and nearly a million dollars in 2022.
Scheme to Defraud USCIS
José Gregorio Sosa Cardona was charged by Morris Pasqual, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, through Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell, along with Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chicago Division.
The accused is said to have led, through Delta Global Solutions, a scheme to defraud USCIS with fraudulent immigration applications, including asylum petitions and U visas.
To obtain these documents, Sosa Cardona and his associates used fake narratives and forged requirements, such as police reports and letters from political parties, to support their applications under the law.
José Gregorio Sosa Cardona is also accused of falsifying information in his own naturalization application and falsely presenting himself as a lawyer.
Court Receives Sosa Cardona’s Case File
On April 3, 2025, before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, the case of the United States v. José Gregorio Sosa Cardona was filed during an in-person hearing regarding the status of the case. Additionally, the timeline for the proceedings was established, while granting the Government’s motion without opposition for the issuance of a protective order.
The prosecution indicated that discovery evidence was presented and substantial proof would be completed before June 2, 2025.
Before June 2, 2025, pretrial motions will be filed in accordance with Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12(b).
Before June 23, 2025, the government will provide a draft plea agreement to the defendants if they wish to enter negotiations for a guilty plea.
The accused will review the draft with the defense jointly and respond to the government by July 7, 2025, at the latest.
An in-person hearing is scheduled for July 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. At that time, parties must be prepared to set a trial date, if the matter is not resolved before then.
At the government’s request and without objection, the court excluded the time according to 18 U.S.C. 3161(h)(7)(A), (B) from April 3, 2025, to July 22, 2025.
The court justified the extension as serving the ends of justice “because they outweigh the public and accused’s interest in a speedy trial, for continuity of the attorney, to complete discovery review, for effective case preparation, and to finalize any plea negotiations.”
Charges Against Sosa Cardona
On March 6, 2025, charges were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, against José Gregorio Sosa Cardona for immigration fraud and conspiracy.
The accused is identified by a special grand jury in June 2024 in the Northern District of Illinois for operating the immigration assistance business called Delta Global Solutions Inc., through which he conspired to defraud the USCIS.
The indictment states that, through the submission of false information and documents in immigration benefit applications, including asylum and U visas, the accused—who was neither a lawyer nor an accredited representative before USCIS—created fraudulent narratives and documents for his clients and falsely presented himself as a lawyer.
The indictment includes specific charges of conspiracy, submission of false documents related to asylum and U visas, as well as making false statements to USCIS in his own naturalization application and in a Form G-28.
Conspiracy to Defraud USCIS
José Gregorio Sosa Cardona, along with his company’s employees identified in the indictment as Employee A and Employee B, conspired to “impede, hinder, obstruct, and defeat the legal governmental functions of USCIS.” Among the fraudulently processed documents were Forms I-94 and U Visas.
The indictment claims that Sosa Cardona and his co-conspirators submitted “false information to USCIS through fraudulent applications for immigration benefits” and “created fictitious narratives to support clients’ asylum applications.”
They also produced fraudulent documents, including letters from foreign political parties, foreign police reports, and foreign medical reports, to corroborate these fictitious narratives.
The indictment indicates that Sosa Cardona created “fraudulent I-485 Forms containing false information regarding the applicants’ previous representations to the United States to obtain immigration benefits.”
Additionally, he created “fraudulent I-918 Forms for non-immigrant U Visas containing supposed signatures of police officials, including real police officers who had not signed the forms.”
The indictment states that Sosa Cardona “encouraged and caused his clients to sign I-485, I-589, and I-918 Forms that he knew contained false information,” while also “encouraging and causing clients to testify falsely in interviews with Asylum Officers.”
The prosecution alleges that José Gregorio Sosa Cardona “falsely represented himself as a lawyer to clients, employees, and USCIS.”
The indictment refers to Sosa Cardona operating a business assisting individuals with immigration applications for a fee, without being a licensed lawyer or an accredited representative authorized to represent applicants in immigration matters before USCIS.
Several clients’ cases are mentioned—referred to as S.G., A.F., M.M., J.G., M.G.—as well as specific actions taken by Sosa Cardona or his employees in each case, such as:
Creation of false documents (police reports, letters from political parties)
Submission of fraudulent I-589 Forms with false supporting information and documents.
Causing clients to submit false information to Asylum Officers.
Submitting a fraudulent I-485 Form denying the prior submission of false documents or false statements.
Submitting an I-918 Form (U Visa) with a law enforcement certification containing a forged signature.
Submitting a G-28 Form to USCIS falsely declaring himself a licensed lawyer and presenting a fraudulent lawyer ID card.
Six Additional Charges
The charges against José Gregorio Sosa Cardona also include six additional counts, namely:
Charge Two (Violation of Title 18, USC, Section 1546(a) ¶ 4)
Knowingly submitting documents with false information in support of an I-589 Form (Client S.G.). This specifically involves a police report and a fraudulent letter from Venezuelan political parties.
Charge Three (Violation of Title 18, USC, Section 1546(a) ¶ 4)
Knowingly submitting a document with false information in support of an I-918 Form (Client A.F.). In this case, a law enforcement certification with a forged signature was submitted.
Charge Four (Violation of Title 18, USC, Section 1546(a) ¶ 4)
Knowingly submitting a document with false information in support of an I-589 Form (Client M.G.). Here, the accused submitted a fraudulent letter from a Venezuelan political party.
Charge Five (Violation of Title 18, USC, Section 1546(a) ¶ 4)
Knowingly submitting a document with false information in support of an I-589 Form (Client J.G.). In this case, a fraudulent letter from a Venezuelan political party was similarly submitted.
Charge Six (Violation of Title 18, USC, Section 1001(a)(3))
Making false statements in his own naturalization application (Form N-400). Sosa Cardona denied ever claiming to be a U.S. citizen, having been convicted of a crime without arrest, having been married to more than one person, and having provided false information to U.S. government officials.
Charge Seven (Violation of Title 18, USC, Section 1001(a)(1))
Willfully falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact by submitting a G-28 Form to USCIS falsely declaring himself to be a licensed attorney in Ohio and presenting a fraudulent attorney ID card.
For each charge of falsifying immigration applications, José Gregorio Sosa Cardona faces the possibility of up to ten years in federal prison. Meanwhile, for conspiracy and false statement charges, the accused could face a maximum of five years each.
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