According to a report by the US Attorney’s Office on July 17th, an undocumented immigrant living in South Los Angeles is facing federal charges for allegedly falsely claiming she was kidnapped by federal immigration officials in a fast-food restaurant parking lot.
The 41-year-old Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon is accused of fabricating her own kidnapping incident, with her family using this concocted story to raise funds in the community through social media.
Calderon is currently facing charges of conspiracy and making false statements to federal officials. Prosecutors stated that she has been transferred to a US Immigration Detention Center and is expected to make her first appearance in Los Angeles Federal Court in the coming weeks.
Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint on July 16th, detailing the fraudulent activities that began last month.
According to the complaint, the family’s attorney, Stephano Medina, held a press conference on June 30th, claiming that Calderon was kidnapped five days prior in the parking lot of a Jack in the Box restaurant in downtown Los Angeles.
Calderon, who has been living in Los Angeles for 20 years and is a mother of three, had her family and friends state at the press conference that two of her children have special needs.
Medina stated that his client, who usually goes by the name “Juli,” was on her way to work as a cleaner when she noticed a masked man in an unmarked vehicle following her. After driving into the fast-food restaurant’s parking lot, she was still being followed and was then taken by the “mysterious man.”
“She was taken straight from here to the border and forced to sign voluntary deportation papers,” Medina said at the press conference, claiming that Calderon was taken to San Ysidro at gunpoint and “forced to sign a voluntary deportation document.”
The attorney claimed that Calderon refused to sign the document and requested to see a judge and a lawyer. As a result, she was taken to a warehouse at an undisclosed location as punishment.
Calderon’s daughter created a GoFundMe page, alleging that her mother was “abducted by a masked man in an unmarked vehicle on her way to work,” hoping to raise $4,500.
Attorney Medina is affiliated with the non-profit organization Movement Legal, which provides legal services for social movements, according to its website.
As of July 17th, Medina has not responded to media inquiries or emails.
According to prosecutors, on July 3rd, federal agents discovered that Calderon was not in immigration detention.
The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched a search operation during the national holiday.
On July 5th, investigators found Calderon in a shopping center parking lot in Bakersfield.
However, she maintained that she was kidnapped by masked individuals and detained with others.
But the investigation revealed that surveillance footage captured her leaving the fast-food restaurant’s parking lot and getting into a private car; phone records and evidence showed that the entire story was fabricated.
Federal prosecutors stated that the story had been reported by several local news media outlets, causing community panic. However, authorities pointed out that the entire story was concocted by Calderon.
US Federal Prosecutor Bill Essayli stated in a release that Calderon’s actions were a carefully orchestrated conspiracy, pledging to hold all involved in this case accountable under the law.
Essayli said, “Politicians and the media are recklessly spreading dangerous rhetoric about ‘ICE kidnapping illegal immigrants’ to fuel public emotions and stain the reputation of our brave federal law enforcement officers.”
Prosecutors pointed out that Calderon and her family knew that law enforcement was looking for her but chose to conceal it. She even made fake “rescued” photos to try to create the false impression that she was being mistreated during her ICE detention.
She also planned to hold a press conference on July 6th to further attract donations and gain other benefits.
Eddy Wang, the head of the HIS Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge, stated, “Since early July, my office has dedicated valuable time and resources to investigate this kidnapping case, only to find out in the end that it was a fraud.”
Currently, the Calderon case is being handled by the Transnational Organized Crime Section for prosecution.