A Florida pastor and his alleged accomplice were busted Thursday for running a phony immigration racket out of a church, duping desperate migrants out of thousands, police said.
Nelson David Ochoa-Vasquez, 46, a pastor at La Iglesia de Dios Jireh, and Ismer Gonzalez, 45, were arrested by the sheriff’s Organized Crimes Bureau for what officials called an “organized scheme to defraud” in a press release. The pair allegedly posed as legal helpers while targeting at least 16 immigrants between April 2024 and January 2025, according to WSVN News.
Ochoa-Vasquez used his pulpit to gain victims’ trust before allegedly referring them to Gonzalez under false pretenses, authorities said.
Gonzalez allegedly posed as an immigration attorney, collecting payments through Zelle to a shell company — Brothers Multiservicio LLC — or in cash handed straight to Ochoa-Vasquez, the sheriff’s office said. Victims shelled out roughly $21,000 for legal help that never came.
Instead, the money was blown on luxury brands like Gucci, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, and on travel to Europe and South America, according to arrest records cited by the outlet. Neither man is licensed to practice law in Florida.
Gonzalez also reportedly has two outstanding warrants in North Carolina for similar scams. Ochoa-Vasquez is being held on an immigration detainer, and both men remain jailed pending a Nebbia hearing to ensure any bail money isn’t tainted by alleged fraud.
Ochoa-Vasquez is charged with organized fraud and second-degree grand theft. Gonzalez faces those charges plus an additional count for practicing law without a license.
https://dailycaller.com/2025/08/04/miami-pastor-fraud-illegal-practice-law-florida-immigrants/