Supporters rally for Valley immigration consultants facing city fraud charges

An offshoot of a longtime immigrant advocacy group operating in the San Fernando Valley is under fire in court after city prosecutors say it defrauded clients.

City Attorney Mike Feuer’s office is pursuing criminal misdemeanor charges against Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional and its director, Gloria Saucedo. Saucedo and two associates are accused of practicing law without a license.

Saucedo is also charged with failing to comply with government rules that apply to immigration consultants. If convicted, Saucedo and her associates could face jail time and fines.

The defendants had a bail hearing Monday; all three were released on their own recognizance without any conditions, according to the City Attorney's office.

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Hernandad Mexicana Transnacional is a separately run offshoot of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, an advocacy group whose origins date back to the 1950s.

Both groups have rallied around Saucedo. Nativo Lopez, the former director of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, said Saucedo is being unfairly targeted.

"We’re confident that there is sufficient evidence that once there is a trial, the charges will be rebutted and they will be exonerated,” Lopez said.

The City Attorney’s office said the charges stem from consumer complaints.

"Investigators subsequently conducted three undercover investigations in 2014 and noted numerous violations of the Immigrant Consultant Act including employees allegedly providing legal advice on two occasions," according to a statement from Feuer's office.

The City Attorney's office said Saucedo and Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional have partial accreditation with the federal Board of Immigration Appeals, but that Saucedo may not appear before the board or in the immigration courts.

The next hearing for those charged is set for May 24.

It's not the first time one of the Hermandad organizations or its leadership have faced legal troubles. Lopez stepped down as director of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional and Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana in 2012, a year after he pleaded guilty to voter-registration fraud charges related to where he lived and registered to vote.

Lopez has continued to work with Hermandad Mexicana, more recently in efforts to organize workers at American Apparel. Lopez said Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional focused on providing immigration services.