Jamaica woman pleads guilty to defrauding undocumented couple out of $25K: DA

A 49-year-old Jamaica woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to grand larceny after she falsely promised an undocumented couple state driver’s licenses and permanent residence cards, taking $25,000 in the process, prosecutors said.

Bibi Nandalall, identifying herself as “Theresa,” first met with the couple in October 2012, and lied to them about working for the state Department of Motor Vehicles, according to the district attorney’s office.

Nandalall told the couple she could provide them legitimate New York State driver’s licenses if they filled out paperwork and paid her cash. The next month, she told them they were eligible for U.S. residency and needed to pay her additional money for fingerprints to complete the paperwork.

After paying Nandalall a total of $25,000 in cash, they received two forged notices of U.S. citizenship and immigration services applications and two U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services biometric appointments, where they would be fingerprinted, photographed and provide an electronic signature, prosecutors said.

But when they showed up to the appointments, they were not scheduled and there was no record of any applications in their names.

As part of Nandalall’s third-degree grand larceny plea on Tuesday, the judge is expected to order her to make $25,000 restitution to the couple at her sentencing on June 29. She should also receive four months in jail and five months’ probation.

“The victims in this case strove to become part of the American Dream. They worked hard and saved their money and gave it to this defendant in the hopes of gaining legal status in this country,” said District Attorney Richard Brown. “Instead, they were defrauded by the defendant. The sentence to be meted out by the court is appropriate in that it will make the victims financially whole and punish the defendant for taking advantage of these vulnerable victims.”

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