MIAMI (BNO NEWS) – A Florida man was arrested for allegedly posing as an immigration official, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Parasharm Maharaj, aka Paris Maharaj, 66, of Sunrise, Florida was purporting to be a U.S. immigration official, allegedly defrauding illegal immigrants residing in South Florida out of approximately $4,000 each. Maharaj allegedly received around $60,000 from victims, assuring he would obtain green cards and work permits for them.

Maharaj during his scheme to defraud, falsely purported to be an employee of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), promising to file applications for immigration benefits on the victims’ behalf.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Fort Lauderdale began investigating the case in August 2005, and according to the indictment, Maharaj submitted fraudulent employment authorization and fraudulent applications for temporary permanent residence on behalf of aliens, allegedly knowing the aliens were not entitled to receive the benefits requested.

ICE special agents arrested Maharaj on on March 15, 2010 as he now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each mail fraud charge, 10 years on each charge of presenting a false immigration application, 10 years on each charge of encouraging illegal aliens to remain in the United States, and 3 years on the charge of impersonating a federal employee.

“Immigration fraud not only hurts the victims who were defrauded of their hard-earned money, but also poses serious risks to our national security. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to preserving the integrity of our immigration system and helping to make our borders safe,” United States Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman said.