St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

St. Croix, USVI – On Thursday, February 11, 2016, Miguel Esperanza-Vazquez, 60, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.

According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on May 12, 2013, Esperanza-Vazquez, caused a money order to be transmitted from Texas to the Virgin Islands as part of an illegal scheme in which the defendant purported to be able to influence an undocumented immigrant’s residency status. The parties agreed that the total loss to the victim was $14,999.

Esperanza-Vasquez faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has been set for June 15, 2016.

The case is the result of months of investigative work by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Stringer.