Former Homeland Security chief convicted in connection with fraud scheme

A jury convicts a former Department of Homeland Security supervisor of helping criminals bilk immigrants out of millions of dollars.

Jurors found Johnny Martin guilty of lying to federal investigators. He faces up to five-years in prison.

Prosecutors say Martin passed confidential information from law enforcement databases to criminals posing as Homeland Security agents.

They say the con men then used the data to convince more than 100 immigrants to pay huge fees for green cards they never received.

The FBI says Martin denied supplying information when questioned – hence the charge against him. However, prosecutors say there’s no evidence he knew the data was being used for fraudulent purposes.

The three men accused of running the con have all pleaded guilty.

KYMA 2019