A federal grand jury has indicted Carlos Adolfo Haeckermann Cardenas on charges related to fraudulent asylum applications. The indictment, filed on November 13, 2024, and unsealed on January 23, 2025, accuses Haeckermann of aiding and abetting false statements in asylum applications.
Haeckermann, a resident of Doral, Florida, allegedly offered assistance with immigration documents and benefits between 2019 and 2021. During this period, he reportedly submitted or helped submit over 100 asylum applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), charging clients thousands of dollars for his services. Some clients were located in the Northern District of California.
The indictment claims that Haeckermann often drafted personal statements for his clients that included fabricated stories of political persecution to support their asylum claims. He allegedly embellished details to improve the likelihood of approval. Instead of listing himself as a third-party preparer, he would send completed applications back to clients for submission. In some cases, he solicited additional payments for falsified documents purportedly necessary for supporting the claims.
Haeckermann appeared in San Francisco on January 22, 2025. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Jeff Rusinek from the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service Criminal Fraud Investigations Branch announced the indictment.
"An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed," they stated, emphasizing that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Haeckermann faces up to ten years' imprisonment per count and fines up to $250,000 per count. Sentencing would consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and federal statutes under section 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is leading the prosecution following an investigation by DSS and USCIS with significant help from USCIS's Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.