United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

HARTFORD IMMIGRATION LAWYER INDICTED FOR DOCUMENT FRAUD

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a 15-count Indictment today charging JOSE L. DEL CASTILLO, age 47, of Hartford, Connecticut, with 14 counts of document fraud and one count of making false statements. DEL CASTILLO, is a lawyer and principal of Del Castillo & Associates, LLC, of Hartford.

The Indictment alleges that DEL CASTILLO’s law practice has included, among other things, providing legal services in exchange for money to assist persons in obtaining immigration benefits, including employment authorization and permanent resident status. According to the Indictment, DEL CASTILLO also owned and operated a business known as Mamacita’s at the Forge Restaurant located at 539 Broad Street in Hartford.

The Indictment alleges that DEL CASTILLO, on behalf of aliens, prepared and presented fraudulent Applications for Alien Employment Certification to the U.S. Department of Labor, and fraudulent Immigrant Petitions for Alien Worker to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, knowing that the documents were fraudulent and contained falsehoods. The documents included false signatures and declarations, false assertions that DEL CASTILLO represented an alien beneficiary; false statements about the job offer; and false statements about the alien beneficiary’s work experience and qualification.

The Indictment further alleges that DEL CASTILLO also made false statements to federal law enforcement officials regarding whether he ever knowingly prepared false applications or petitions.

If convicted, DEL CASTILLO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the document fraud charges, and a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statement charge.

U.S. Attorney O’Connor stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas P. Morabito and William M. Brown.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov