A man who claimed to be an immigration attorney in Gwinnett County, swindling illegal immigrants out of thousands of dollars, allegedly set up a shop offering his fake services at a flea market in Jackson County as well.
The suspect, who uses the alias Juan Manuel Pineda Cruz, has stolen about $30-thousand from his victims, a number Cpl. Michele Pihera, Gwinnett Police spoksewoman, said could rise, now that officers know that Cruz had a stand at the Pendergrass Flea Market on U.S. 129.
"(Cruz) is probably targeting the illegal immigrants here in Gwinnett County and metro Atlanta because he thinks that these people are not going to come forward," said Pihera in a phone interview.
She said Gwinnett Police don't deal with immigration matters, and said any victims coming forward would not risk deportation.
The first known incident involving Cruz, whose real name could be Eduardo Bueno Cabrera, happened Dec. 13, when he took $6-thousand on a promise of helping a victim's family come to the United States legally. Once he got the money, Cruz quit returning attempts at communication.
On Jan. 30, two more victims came forward, claiming Cruz took $20-thousand to help 18 foreign workers from Latin America gain legal status. Cruz took the money, then went silent.
Both incidents involved meeting Cruz at a bakery in Duluth.
"We want to prove the suspect wrong. We want to show that these victims are a strong people," said Pihera.
Anyone who believes they were victimized by Cruz is asked to contact Gwinnett Police, and anyone seeking legal counsel is advised to check their attorney's status with the Secretary of State's Office and the Georgia Bar Association.
