A Los Angeles woman who was awaiting sentencing for scamming undocumented immigrants in San Diego County was re-arrested last week for the same crime.

Gladis Escobar was taken into custody last week by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  She was initially arrested in 2007 by ICE after being charged by the San Diego County District Attorney’s office with three counts of grand theft. She plead guilty to those charges in October 2008, and was free on bond while awaiting her March 26, 2009 sentencing.

Escobar falsely claimed to be a lawyer specializing in immigration services. She filed fraudulent applications for political asylum with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) on behalf of undocumented immigrants.

Escobar and others like her prepare and file applications for immigration benefits that are later discovered by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) to be frivolous.  These individuals target unsuspecting immigrants, hold themselves out to be attorneys, and are in reality, practicing law without a license.

Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) is prohibited in every state by statute, regulation, or court rules.  For example, Florida law punishes UPL as a misdemeanor.  Some states however, punish UPL as a felony.

For more information on Escobar’s fate, click on Immigration Scam Artist.