41-year-old Ivan Isho of Phoenix, Arizona has been charged with wire fraud, impersonation of a federal officer and cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced on Tuesday.
According to court documents, between September 2016 and April 2017, Isho claimed to be a special agent with the FBI to a couple living in Ceres. He claimed that as an FBI agent, he could help the couple acquire visas for three family members overseas.
Officials said that the couple paid him over $6,700 to facilitate the visa process yet no visas have been issued and Isho returned none of the money.
The indictment alleges that between April 2016 and April 2018, Isho also harassed another victim over the phone, internet and social media in a manner likely to cause substantial emotional duress to the victim.
If convicted, Isho faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the Department of Justice, any sentence, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
