Texas Border Business
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
HOUSTON – A 58-year-old local resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and stealing nearly $1.5 million.
Jesus Carlos Silva pleaded guilty July 9, 2025, to defrauding individuals with false promises of legal status.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Silva to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Silva made false promises that he could help people obtain U.S. citizenship and/or other legal immigration status in under a year. The court also heard how Silva recruited individuals at churches and obtained payments between $10,000-15,000 yet offered nothing in return.
From March 2022 through December 2024, Silva pretended to be an immigration attorney affiliated with a Houston-based law firm. He charged thousands of dollars per person for his “assistance,” collecting payments through checks and money orders. He never provided legitimate immigration help and made excuses for delays before ultimately cutting off communication.
As part of the scheme, Silva also instructed several individuals to travel to Houston for what they thought were appointments with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. However, once they arrived, there were no such appointments.
He admitted to stealing more than $1,450,555 from over 100 people living in Texas, Illinois, Louisiana and Florida.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case.
Updated January 8, 2026
