A Folsom man, 70-year-old Marcus Taslim, admitted in federal court today to committing visa fraud by bringing an individual from Indonesia under false pretenses. The case, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, reveals that Taslim misled authorities to gain a nonimmigrant visa for the unnamed person, who was brought to the United States to serve as a caregiver, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As per the U.S. Attorney's Office court filings, Taslim misrepresented facts about the employment terms to a consular officer. He claimed the caregiver, referred to as Person 1, would stay only one month, receiving legitimate wages as stipulated by California state laws, including minimum and overtime pay, and would be compensated bi-weekly. Taslim also asserted he had advanced one month's pay to Person 1, an official statement said. However, these representations were far from the truth.
Upon verifying the initial payment to Person 1, Taslim had the caregiver return the funds, effectively leaving him unpaid. Once in the U.S., the victim of the scam worked approximately six months under Taslim's employ, enduring long hours with duties starting early in the morning and extending into the night, seven days a week. "Taslim paid Person 1 far less than minimum wage, did not pay her bi-weekly and in full, and also confiscated her passport so she could not run away," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. It wasn't until June 2019 that Person 1 was able to escape the situation with assistance from local police.
The Diplomatic Security Service's San Francisco Field Office spearheaded the investigation, leading to Taslim's guilty plea. The sentencing, scheduled for May 12, could result in a maximum of 10 years in prison and a quarter-million-dollar fine for the Folsom man. U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb will decide the sentence, taking into consideration statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
