An ongoing investigation into a Gainesville woman posing as an immigration agent has led to 13 more charges after more victims came forward, losing a combined total of nearly $200,000.
Olga Beatrice Villarreal, 51, of Gainesville, was once again taken into custody by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon on a new set of charges. A preliminary investigation indicated Villarreal had posed as an immigration agent, taking payments from victims by threatening them with deportation after offering to assist them with immigration paperwork.
Most payments were made in cash, according to Hall County investigators. The crimes were reportedly committed between Jan. 2019 and June 2023.
Villarreal was initially arrested on June 29 for one count of each of theft by extortion and conspiracy to commit a crime. Following that arrest, more victims have since come forward, leading to the latest list of charges.
Villarreal’s 13 new charges, all of which are felonies, include:
- 5 counts of theft by extortion
- 3 counts of criminal conspiracy to commit a crime
- 5 counts of impersonating a public officer or employee
The current investigation details a total of seven victims who have lost a combined total of nearly $200,000.
"The Gainesville Police Department took some reports initially, they initially arrested Ms. Villarreal on their own charges related to this sort of activity," HCSO spokesman Derreck Booth said. "They did a social media post on her arrest, and so additional victims came forward as a result of that. And some of the crimes took place in the county, so they got referred to our agency."
Villarreal was booked into the Hall County Jail on Friday. She was released Monday evening on a $26,000 bond.
