Margate man sentenced to 5 years in prison for defrauding immigrants of $3.9 million

MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) – A Margate man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for defrauding more than 1,000 people and making $3.9 million through a fake immigration consulting business.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Jephte Bernard, 70, provided misleading legal and immigration advice to his clients to persuade them to hire his services at Jay's Immigration Services.

Bernard targeted Spanish-speaking and Haitian Creole immigrants by falsely representing himself as a licensed attorney in the United States, according to reports.

The DOJ revealed that it submitted various immigration applications and petitions with fabricated details, including incorrect biographical data, addresses, and names, without the applicants' knowledge or approval.

According to court records, Bernard posed as various people, such as a lawyer, a pastor, a Border Patrol agent and a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee and agent.

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As a result of this fraudulent immigration scheme, the DOJ concluded that Bernard defrauded more than 1,000 vulnerable victims and, in doing so, earned more than $3.9 million.

Bernard was sentenced to five years in federal prison; Additionally, upon his release, he will be required to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $3,932,460.00 in illegally obtained proceeds.