Federal authorities have charged a Kansas woman and a Honduran national with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. refugee system, alleging the pair falsified government documents to gain custody of an unaccompanied migrant child for the purpose of labor exploitation.
The indictment, unsealed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, names Romulo Hernandez Murillo, 45, and Lisa Marie Lopez Perdomo, 48, of Syracuse, Kansas. Both face charges of conspiracy and making false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The Alleged Scheme
According to court documents, the charges stem from an application submitted to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the federal body responsible for the care and placement of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC).
READ: Produce And Poison: Fentanyl ‘Tranq’ Pills Peddled From Georgia Farmers Market Stand
Prosecutors allege that Hernandez, a Honduran national residing in the U.S. without legal authorization, entered into a financial agreement with Lopez. The indictment claims Hernandez agreed to pay Lopez in exchange for the use of her address on official sponsorship forms.
The objective, according to federal investigators, was to deceive authorities into believing Hernandez resided at Lopez’s Syracuse home, thereby portraying a stable environment suitable for sponsorship. However, prosecutors state the ultimate intent was not to provide guardianship, but to have the minor live with Hernandez and work within the United States.
The scheme unraveled when an employee at the care facility housing the child flagged discrepancies during the vetting process. Following an internal investigation that exposed the alleged misrepresentations, the sponsorship application was denied.
Federal Response and “Operation Take Back America”
Department of Justice officials framed the indictment as part of a broader crackdown on the exploitation of vulnerable minors entering the U.S. border system.
“This indictment represents the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to prosecuting individuals who fraudulently pose as suitable UAC sponsors to obtain custody of vulnerable children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “This conduct represents a violation of the societal responsibility to safeguard children.”
READ: Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib Blows Gasket Over ‘Neo-Nazi’ DHS Post Of Man Riding Horse
The investigation falls under the umbrella of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a partnership between the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security launched to combat human smuggling and trafficking networks.
Furthermore, the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a high-intensity federal initiative designed to dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The operation utilizes resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) to target networks involved in smuggling and violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser emphasized the complexity of these investigations.
“We are determined to protect the most vulnerable members of our society,” Kriegshauser said. “This task often takes a multi-faceted approach involving multiple agencies and superior coordination. Given Task Force Alpha’s efforts, we are seeing real results.”
Legal Consequences
Hernandez and Lopez are each charged with one count of making a false statement and one count of conspiracy. If convicted, they face a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison per offense.
A federal district court judge will determine sentencing based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. As with all criminal defendants, Hernandez and Lopez are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is currently being investigated by HHS’s Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Labor and the IRS Criminal Investigations unit.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
