California Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Hundreds of Illegals Get Green Cards With False Medical Records

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A woman holds a US Flag during a naturalization ceremony at the Lowell Auditorium where 633 immigrants became US citizens on January 22, 2019 in Lowell, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joseph PREZIOSO / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

A woman from San Luis Obispo County, California, has been found guilty of helping hundreds of undocumented immigrants attempt to secure green cards by fabricating medical documents without a doctor’s approval, according to federal prosecutors.

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Breitbart News reports that Chantelle Lavergne Woods, 54, entered a guilty plea on Monday to two charges: one count of presenting a false immigration document or application, and another for possession with intent to distribute phendimetrazine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced.

Woods operated a business under the name “Medical Weight Loss and Immigration Services,” which prosecutors say was a façade for her fraudulent operation that began in February 2021. She “knowingly misused the identities of three physicians to create hundreds of fraudulent documents pertaining to medical examinations of individuals seeking to register for a lawful permanent resident (LPR) card – commonly known as a ‘green card’ – or otherwise adjust their immigration status,” the office said.

Prosecutors noted that one of the doctors whose identity was used in the scheme had already passed away. Additionally, Woods admitted to using that deceased physician’s DEA registration number to obtain more than 150,000 pills of controlled substances such as testosterone, codeine, Xanax, and weight-loss drugs.

In her plea agreement, Woods acknowledged submitting fraudulent paperwork for 328 individuals, charging each migrant $450 for her services.

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According to prosecutors, U.S. law mandates that individuals applying for green cards must undergo a medical evaluation conducted by a licensed physician. The doctor must then submit a signed form that “attest[s], in part, that the physician performed the medical examination and truly and accurately completed the form based on the examination and the information provided by the applicant.”

Authorities say Woods continued her activities until June 2022. She is currently free on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled for sentencing on July 31. If convicted on both counts, she could face up to 10 years in federal prison for each charge.

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