Miami woman accused of posing as immigration attorney arrested again in fraud case
A woman accused of pretending to be an immigration attorney and taking thousands of dollars from desperate South Florida families is now behind bars, Miami police said.
Investigators say 50-year-old Maria de Lourdes Van Caneghem targeted immigrants by falsely claiming she could help them get loved ones released from federal detention and begin the process for legal residency.
One of her alleged victims, Yamila Mederos, spoke with CBS News Miami about what she says happened.
"She is where she belongs," Mederos said in Spanish, referring to Van Caneghem's current stay at the Miami-Dade jail known as TGK.
Victim says she paid for help
Mederos told CBS News Miami she gave Van Caneghem a $1,440 money order after being promised help to get her husband released from an immigration detention center and begin the process to obtain U.S. residency.
According to Mederos, the suspect would only accept cash, money orders or Zelle payments — often sent to a phone number not registered to the suspect.
She said the payment methods raised red flags, but she chose to trust Van Caneghem because of the desperate situation she was in.
"My husband had been detained by immigration authorities after reporting to an ICE appointment," Mederos said. "She told me she could get him out."
Weeks later, Mederos said she stopped receiving responses and went to police.
Long history of fraud charges
Miami Police spokesperson Mike Vega said Van Caneghem has a lengthy criminal record.
"She has approximately 89 charges of fraud, and out of those 89, 12 have been convictions," Vega said.
Police confirmed Mederos identified Van Caneghem in a photo lineup.
When investigators filed the arrest report, they discovered the suspect was already being held at the Miami-Dade jail on a separate fraud case.
"We do our investigation and find out that Miami Beach arrested her in September for fraud — for the same thing," Vega said.
Court hearing brings new charges
During a bond court hearing Friday, Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer called the defendant's name, but Van Caneghem declined to appear.
Prosecutors told the court additional charges were being filed.
"We've seen her many times before," a state attorney told the judge.
Judge Glazer described the case as "another fraud scheme."
Court records show Van Caneghem was already on probation until February 2034 at the time of her latest arrest.
Police urge other victims to come forward
She now faces new charges, including organized scheme to defraud and grand theft in the third degree.
Police believe there may be more victims.
"In the city of Miami, we don't ask if you are a legal resident or not," Vega said. "If you are a victim of a crime from this lady or anyone else and you come to the City of Miami, we will treat you as such."
Mederos said she knows she will likely never get her money back, but she is relieved the woman accused of taking advantage of her family is now behind bars.