Feds: ICE Agent Traded Green Cards For Cash And Sex

Newark– A federal grand jury indicted a former ICE deportation officer today for accepting cash and sexual favors from undocumented immigrants in exchange for employment authorization documents, commonly called green cards, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

Seven of the eight immigrants involved in the scheme resided in Monmouth County; three lived in Red Bank, two lived in Tinton Falls, one lived in Red Bank and Ocean Township, and one resided in Long Branch. The eighth undocumented immigrant resided in North Plainfield.

Between 2012 and 2014, Arnaldo Echevarria, 38, of Somerset, solicited, demanded, accepted and received $78,000 in cash and sex in exchange for temporary green cards and green card renewals. He impregnated one of the immigrants who delivered the baby despite Echevarria’s demand that she have an abortion.

Additionally, Echevarria employed a ninth undocumented immigrant, his girlfriend, in a West Orange hair salon he owned.

Echevarria faces seven bribery counts that each carry a potential 15 year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine, twice the gross gain from the offenses or three times the monetary equivalent of things of value accepted. Additionally, he faces charges of harboring an alien and making false statements, each of which carries a potential five year sentence and a $250,000 fine or twice the gain or loss from the offense.

Echevarria is free on $100,000 unsecured bond.