For Immediate Release
June 19th, 2001
Contact: Elisabeth Hatcher (714) 773-4489
Woman Who Promised to Get Citizenship for Undocumented Workers Sentenced to Two Years
ANAHEIM — A woman who claimed to be able to speed up the citizenship process for undocumented workers pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of grand theft and one count of committing a theft with a prior conviction. She was sentenced to two years in state prison.
Dilcia Castellanos (DOB 12-6-62) of Anaheim, was already in custody and taken back to jail. She was accused of stealing more than $19,000 from six victims. Three of those were victims of the INS scheme, in which Castellanos said she had contacts who could legally expedite the process. Other victims were promised various business deals that the defendant did not provide.
Castellanos herself is not a United States citizen and may face deportation or additional prosecution after she serves her sentence. She is on probation for a 1997 case in which she racked up utilities and credit card charges in a neighbor’s name.